Union ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari inaugurated an emergency landing field for Indian Air Force planes, which has been developed on National Highway-925 at the Gandhav Bhakasa section of Barmer in Rajasthan. Once functional, this is the first time that a National Highway will be used as an Emergency Landing Field (ELF) for IAF aircraft. Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat would also be witnessing the landing demonstration at Emergency Field Landing at the National Highway in Rajasthan’s Jalore.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) had developed a 3-km section of the Satta-Gandhav stretch of NH-925A from 41/430 kms to 44/430 kms as an ELF, which is now part of a newly-developed two-lane paved shoulder of Gagariya-Bakhasar and Satta-Gandhav section, with a total length of 196.97 kms at a cost of Rs 765.52 crores under the Bharatmala Pariyojana. Located near the western borders of the country, the emergency air field will help increase the vigilance capacity of the Indian Army, besides strengthen the infrastructure of the region. Three helipads of size 100X30 mt have also been made set up in Kundanpura, Singhania and Bhakhasar villages keeping in mind the requirements of the Air Force/Army. This project will improve connectivity between the villages of Barmer and Jalore, which are located on the international border with Pakistan. The emergency landing field has been developed for the Air Force’s emergency use. It is 3-km long and 33-metre wide. Parking facilities have been created on both sides to ensure that planes can be stationed there. The ELF was constructed in a time span of 19 months. The construction work had started in July 2019 and it was completed in January 2021.
