The Uttarakhand government has decided to suspend heli services for the Char Dham Yatra till 16th June, and a probe has been ordered into Saturday’s helicopter crash. It has also decided to review the flying experience of the service operators, hammer out SOPs and a Command and Coordination Centre for safe heli services.
“The flight experience of all heli operators and pilots engaged in Char Dham Yatra in the high Himalayan region will be reviewed. Heli services will resume only after a meeting with all service providers operating in Kedarnath and other parts of the state,” according to a government statement following a directive by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.
The Chief Minister ordered a high-level probe into the early morning helicopter crash in Gaurikund Rudraprayag, 18 kilometres from Kedarnath, that killed seven people, including a 23-month-old girl child.
He said “Negligence at any level will be identified and punitive action will be taken against the guilty, and no compromise will be made with people’s lives. Only the pilots with extensive heli flying experiences in high Himalayan regions will be allowed to take up the job.” Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) had already reduced the frequency of helicopter sorties in the Char Dham pilgrimage regions and has increased surveillance and review of the air service operators for further action.
The Dhami government has also decided to form a “Command and Coordination Centre” in Dehradun for better coordination and safer heli flights in the state. “The centre will be constituted comprising the officials from DGCA, Uttarakhand Disaster Management Department, Civil Aviation Department, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) and heli service companies working in the state,” said Dhami in a meeting held at the Chief Minister’s residence to take stock of the helicopter crash on Sunday.
The Chief Minister directed the Chief Secretary to constitute a committee in the chairmanship of the State Home Secretary with representatives from DGCA, Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority(UCADA), Civil Aviation Department of the Centre and Air Traffic Control (ATC) as members.
The committee will prioritise public safety and prepare a draft of standard operating procedures (SOPs) for heli services in Uttarakhand. It will submit the report by September. Dhami instructed the formation of strict administrative and technical SOPs for future operations of heli services in the state.
Dhami stressed that DGCA guidelines should be made stricter and must be followed in letter and spirit. He also instructed the installation of an advanced weather forecast system in greater numbers in the Himalayan region for greater accuracy in obtaining weather information.
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