Char Dham Helicopter Services Suspended Till June 16; Safety Review Ordered By CM Pushkar Singh Dhami
Helicopter services to Char Dham will remain completely suspended until Monday. The experience of all helicopter operators and pilots in high-altitude Himalayan regions will be reviewed. Heli services will be resumed only after a comprehensive meeting with all operators. To ensure better coordination and safe operation of heli flights, a central “Command and Coordination Center” will be established in Dehradun. This center will include officials from DGCA, the Disaster Management Department, Civil Aviation, UCADA, and heli operator companies. These directions were issued by Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Singh Dhami during a meeting held at the CM residence on Sunday.
The Chief Minister directed the formation of a committee under the chairmanship of the Home Secretary, Uttarakhand. This committee will include representatives from DGCA, UCADA, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (Government of India), and ATC. The committee will draft a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) giving top priority to public safety. The report will be submitted before September. The Chief Minister also instructed that strict Administrative and Technical SOPs be prepared for the future operation of heli services in the state.
He also ordered a high-level investigation into the Rudraprayag helicopter crash. The Chief Minister said that those found negligent at any level must be identified and appropriate punitive action should be taken. He emphasized that protecting the lives of common citizens is the top priority of the state government and no compromise with safety will be tolerated.
The Chief Minister stated that only those pilots with long-term experience of flying in high-altitude Himalayan regions will be allowed to operate. He also directed that DGCA guidelines should be made stricter and must be followed with 100% compliance. He instructed for the installation of more advanced weather forecast equipment in Himalayan regions for more accurate and timely weather information. He also directed the Rudraprayag district administration to make proper arrangements for sending the bodies of those who lost their lives in the accident to their respective states and to stay in contact with their families.
Present on the occasion through virtual mode were Chief Secretary Shri Anand Bardhan, Civil Aviation Secretary Shri Sameer Kumar Sinha, DGCA Director General Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, Secretaries Shri Shailesh Bagoli and Shri Sachin Kurve, Disaster Management Secretary Shri Vinod Kumar Suman, UCADA CEO Ms. Sonika, Information Director General Shri Banshidhar Tiwari, officials from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), and others.
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