Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 8: Project Beacon today said that despite the heaviest spell of snowfall in the month of January, it ensured the runway at Srinagar International Airport was available for flight operations.
With frequent disruption in road communication due to continuous landslides in Ramban-Banihal area, the air route was the only link to Kashmir valley and Project Beacon worked day and night to keep the Srinagar Airport open, said Chief Engineer, Project Beacon, Brigadier Das.
He informed that the snow clearance of airstrip and the area adjoining the terminal building is a tedious process and has to commence the moment it starts snowing. “The clearance is undertaken by employing specialised equipment like snow ploughs, snow sweepers, snow cutters and it carries on through the entire duration of snowfall and almost four hours after that”, he added.
“In the preceding days major snow fall spells were during night time and hence the BRO personal worked throughout the night braving harsh weather conditions and the airstrip was rendered operational by forenoon next day,” he said.
The CE said that the entire snow clearance operations were coordinated by Col Amit Chander with support from Airport and Air Force authorities. “There was not even a single day when flights were cancelled due to non clearance of runway. The cancellation was due to restriction of weather on flying of aircrafts,” he added.
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