Rajasthan: Emergency Landing Facility For IAF Aircraft On National Highway Strech In Barmer To Be Inaugurated Tomorrow

Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari will Inaugurate Emergency Landing Field (ELF) and also witness aircraft operations on ELF on Gandhav Bhakasar section of NH-925 in Rajasthan's Barmer on 9 September, an official release said on Wednesday (8 September).

According to a Ministry of Road Transport and Highways release, NHAI had developed a 3.0 Km section of Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A as an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) for Indian Air Force, which is part of newly developed two-lane paved shoulder of Gagariya-Bakhasar & Satta-Gandhav section having total length of 196.97 Km and costing Rs 765.52 crore under Bharatmala Pariyojana.

This is the first time that National Highway will be used for emergency landing of aircraft of IAF, the release said.

This project will also improve connectivity between villages of Barmer and Jalore districts located on international border. The stretch being located in the western border area will facilitate the vigilance of the Indian Army as well as strengthen the basic infrastructure of the country, it added.

Apart from this Emergency Landing Strip, three helipads (size 100 x 30 m each) have been constructed in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bakhasar villages in this project according to the requirements of the IAF and Indian Army, which will be the basis for strengthening the security network on the western international border of the country.

The ELF was constructed in a time span of 19 months. The work for this ELF was commenced in July 2019 and was completed in January 2021, the release said.

The work was carried out the executing agency under the supervision of IAF and NHAI.

During normal time, the ELF will be used for smooth flow of road traffic. However, during the operations of ELF for Indian Air Force, the service road will be used for smooth flow of road traffic. It has been constructed in 3.5 Km length.

This Landing Strip, which is situated at a distance of 40 km from India-Pakistan international border, will be able to facilitate landing of all types of Aircraft of the IAF, the release said.