Emergency Landing Facility For IAF Planes Inaugurated on NH 925 In Rajasthan

Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari on Thursday inaugurated a 3-km-long emergency landing facility (ELF) at Satta-Gandhav stretch on National Highway 925 here on Thursday for Indian Air Force (IAF) planes at Barmer in Rajasthan.

A Hercules C-130J plane of the IAF, carrying the two ministers and Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, conducted a mock emergency landing on the national highway.

Emergency Landing Facility

-NH-925 is India's first national highway to be used for emergency landing of IAF aircraft.

-The defence minister said that a total of 20 emergency landing strips, are being developed across the country right now.

- Many helipads are also being created with the help of the Union Roads Ministry.

-The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has developed the 3-km section of Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925 as an ELF for the IAF.

-The emergency landing strip is part of newly developed two-lane paved shoulder of Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav section having total length of 196.97 km and costing Rs 765.52 crore under the Bharatmala Pariyojana.

-Apart from the emergency landing strip, three helipads (size 100x30 metres each) have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages under this project, according to the requirements of the IAF and the Indian Army.

-The ELF and three helipads have been developed to strengthen the security network on the western international border of the country.

-During normal times, the ELF will be used for the smooth flow of road traffic.

-During the operations of ELF for the IAF, the service road will be used for the smooth flow of road traffic.

-ELF was constructed in 19 months. The work commenced in July 2019 and was completed in January 2021.

-The ELF works were carried out by GHV India Pvt Ltd under the supervision of the IAF and the NHAI.

-Such landing fields are being developed at 20 places in other states of the country as well.

- Five such landing fields are being developed in Assam.

- Efforts are being made to build an electric highway between Delhi and Jaipur.

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