IAF set to conduct trial run for emergency landing facility at Anantnag’s Bijbehara today

Anantnag, Apr 01: The Indian Air Force (IAF) is set to conduct a trial run of the 3.5 km long emergency landing facility on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway at Bijbehara while as the authorities have made elaborate arrangement by deploying security forces and setting up radars and other technical equipment including CCTV's to ensure smooth experiment, the officials said on Monday.

Officials told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that a large number of security forces personnel have been deployed near the emergency landing facility from kilometre 246.200 to kilometre 249.700 on Jammu Srinagar National Highway as the IAF is likely to conduct a trial run on the strip. "Strong security established has been deployed in the area besides setting up radars and other technical equipment including CCTV's," they said. They said the clearance work on the highway (strip) has started today.

Health, fire service and other departments are presently on the spot. "The trail run is scheduled during night hours today. Vehicles coming on the national highway will be diverted at that time," the officials said, adding that Sukhoi fighter aircraft and Tejas light combat fighters are likely to participate in the trial.

The officials said the facility would help in case of war, floods, during NDRF’s rescue operations, air dropping of relief material, transportation of the stranded people and for other emergency needs.

It may be recalled that the construction work on the facility was started in 2020 at the cost of Rs 119 crore. Meanwhile, the traffic department has issued an advisory stating that no heavy motor vehicles (HMVs) will be allowed on the highway from 4 am on Monday to 7 am on Tuesday in view of "urgent repairs and upgradation of the airstrip stretch" near Bijbehara in south Kashmir's Anantnag district.

"Light motor vehicles (LMV) shall be diverted to the old national highway alignment between Alistop and Doonipora, including Wanpoh, Khanabal, Batengoo, Padshahi Bagh and Bijbihara. Truck drivers are advised to avoid their journey on the highway from 4 am on April 1 (Monday) to 7 am on April 2 (Tuesday)," the department said in a statement.