Recently, a helicopter ferrying pilgrims in Katra to the holy shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi crashed, killing seven commuters including the pilot. Preliminary inquiry suggests that a bird-hit was the cause of the tragedy. This incident has drawn the attention of all concerned to the helicopter service provided at Katra for pilgrims taking flight to the holy cave. The Serli helipad from where the choppers take off is within the inhabited locality. The people of the locality have been demanding shifting of the helipad because of enormous noise pollution created by the helicopter service. Helicopters create great noise at the time of take off and greater at the time of landing. Noise pollution has become unbearable for the civilian population who has been making repeated requests for shifting the helipad to a place far away from habited area.
Much disturbing reports are coming to us in this connection. First of all, it is reported that at the time of using Sarli as the helipad, authorities concerned did not take into account the Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules of 2000 and did not obtain green signal from the State Pollution Control Board. Second, initially about 50 to 70 sorties per day were allowed for the choppers. However, with the great influx of pilgrims and more and more of them opting for helicopter service for part of the pilgrimage, now about 200 sorties per day are operating. Additionally, regular operations generate 100 dB of noise pollution at the time of take off and 120 dB at landing which should not normally exceed 45-55 dB as per the Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules of 2000.
On October 1, 2013, the 11-member Committee of Petitions of Jammu and Kashmir State Legislative Assembly received a petition regarding unbearable volume of noise pollution being generated due to continuous operation of helicopters from Serli (Katra) helipad. The petition said that the life of the inhabitants of the Serli and adjoining areas had become miserable especially that of school going children because of enormously increased noise pollution. The committee made strong recommendation that the helipad should be shifted to a non-inhabited area and while that will be done, temporarily some measures had to be adopted to reduce noise pollution. It suggested changing the route of the flight of the helicopters and also suggested that bigger helicopters with more capacity be introduced. There were other recommendations also. However, all these recommendations and the pleas made by the local people have had no effect so far. Nobody is moving his finger to stop enormous noise pollution. People of the locality have made representation to various quarters, the Director General of Civil Aviation, J&K Branch of Civil Aviation, Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board, State divisional authorities, State Pollution Control Board and others but to no avail. It is very unfortunate that the Government is unconcerned about a serious problem faced by the people of the locality. It is now becoming a health hazard and would in all probability adversely affect the hearing power of the people especially the students.
Of course, CEO of the Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Board has said that the issue is very much before them and they are committed to shift the helipad. The problem was of the State Government identifying the alternative site and handing it over to the Shrine Board. The alternative site had been identified and land acquisition process is on. This brings a ray of hope to the affected people of Serli and adjoining areas that they will be relieved of this nuisance very soon. However, the interim relief measures suggested by the Committee of Petitions should be implemented now. In particular, the flying route of the helicopter should be changed but it has also to be ensured that the new route is not the one which the birds generally use for their aerial flights.
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