Uttarakhand: To Increase Pilgrim Safety, the Government Authorizes a Sahasradhara-Model Heliport in Kedar Valley

Uttarakhand:  The state government of Uttarakhand is taking important steps to coordinate and improve the security of helicopter services used for the Kedarnath Dham. The government has given the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) permission to build a complete heliport in the Kedar Valley.

Facilities and Infrastructure
The current Sahasradhara heliport will serve as the basis for the projected heliport in the Kedar Valley. Soon, UCADA will start looking for land for this project. The heliport will be furnished with necessary technological amenities to guarantee optimal safety and effectiveness, such as:

weather cameras and a specialized weather station.
indications of wind direction.
CCTV or surveillance cameras.
measures for passenger security.
Medical facilities and ambulances.
Consolidation of Operations: At the moment, a number of helipads in Fata, Sirsi, and Guptkashi are used by helicopter services. By combining these services, the new initiative will enable operations from a single location. Passengers should experience a great deal of relaxation and convenience as a result.

Regulatory Changes and the Safety Context
These improvements are being pushed after mishaps during this year’s Char Dham Yatra’s initial phase.

Safety Interventions: Safety became a major priority after the events. For the second stage of the yatra, which started in September, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) updated helicopter operating guidelines.

Results: The second phase was finished safely and incident-free as a consequence of these more stringent requirements.

Prospects for the Next Yatra (April)
The Char Dham Yatra is set to restart in April of next year, and UCADA has already started preparations and is in constant communication with the DGCA.

Operational Capacity: This year’s yatra’s second phase focused safety by cutting down on the number of journeys. As a result, there were 30% fewer passengers, which raised the cost of travel.

Future Fares: Plans are in motion to run the next yatra at the same regulated capacity. As a result, next year’s helicopter service prices could go up.

Official Statement Ashish Chauhan, CEO of UCADA,”There are plans to build a heliport in the Kedar Valley that is based on Sahasradhara. We’ll shortly start the process of identifying land here.”