IAF will get major capability for landing, takeoffs
Formal announcement likely soon
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 11: Five Emergency Landing Strips have reportedly been proposed for fighter and other jets in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and a formal process for their construction would be announced once Forest and land acquisition like issues are sorted out.
Both the Union Territories share long boundaries with Pakistan and China. And India’s relations with both the neighbours have never been good though presently there is ceasefire agreement between Indo-Pak troops along Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB). Sino-Indian troops are engaged in conflict in Eastern Ladakh for past more than a year now.
“Exact locations of the Emergency Landing Strips will be decided by the Defence Ministry and Ministry of Road Transport and National Highways once the process is finalized in due course of time,” official sources told the Excelsior.
They said a total of five such airstrips have been proposed in the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
Location of two of them has reportedly been decided between Bijbehara-Chinar Bagh and Srinagar-Banihal while three others are expected to come up along Jammu-Pathankot, Jammu-Poonch highways and Ladakh.
Sources pointed out that location of some of the emergency landing airstrips was considered at few places but Forest and land acquisition issues cropped up.
It, however, couldn’t be ascertained immediately whether the same spots are being considered for building Emergency Landing Strips along the National Highways in Jammu and Kashmir or their locations will be changed in view of Forest and land acquisitions.
Srinagar-Banihal airstrip on the Highway is first to be constructed which will be 3.5 kilometres long and could come up at a proposed cost of around Rs 120 crore while Bijbehara-Chinar Bagh is next in the pipeline.
“The idea is to strengthen capabilities of the Indian Air Force and to ensure that they can land and takeoff close to the boundaries with neighbours in case of any eventualities,” sources said.
A day before Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari had landed at first Emergency Landing airstrip at Barmer in Rajasthan built along the National Highway. Prior to that, another airstrip was constructed on Agra-Lucknow Expressway.
During past six to seven years, India has been focusing on development of infrastructure along the borders with Pakistan and China especially in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Several road projects in the Union Territory of Ladakh bordering China which were pending for past several years have either been completed or were in the procession of completion.
Several major projects along Pakistan border have also been completed which include construction of roads and building other infrastructure.
It may be mentioned here that Rajnath and Gadkari had announced during launch of Emergency Landing Airstrip at Barmer in Rajasthan the other day that 13 more National Highways have been identified for construction of such airstrips.
Though presently there is ceasefire along LoC and IB between India and Pakistan since February 25 this year, the relations between the two neighbours have never been good.
“Construction of airstrips along the National Highways is based on keeping in view India’s hostile relations with Pakistan and China,” sources said.
Sino-Indian troops are engaged in conflict at various points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh for more than a year now. While disengagement has taken place in some of the places, confrontation persisted at other points.
On Indo-Pak border, Pakistan army has been maintaining ceasefire but there has been rise in infiltration attempts by the militants especially in the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch.
A number of militants have been killed along the LoC in Salhutri, Sunderbani, Nowshera etc in Rajouri and Poonch during the intrusion bids.
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