Sonika, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA), announced on Monday that helicopter services would recommence, contingent upon favorable weather conditions.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will closely oversee all shuttle services, as reported by The Hindu.
Operations were halted after a helicopter operated by Aryan Heli Aviation crashed in Gaurikund at approximately 5 am on Sunday, resulting in the deaths of seven individuals. The helicopter was en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi.
Victims included an elderly woman from Uttar Pradesh traveling with her granddaughter, a couple from Maharashtra accompanied by their two-year-old daughter, and a pilot who had recently welcomed twins into his family.
Initial reports indicate that severe weather and technical difficulties were key factors contributing to the crash.
The Chardham Yatra route in Uttarakhand, which encompasses the Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri, and Gangotri sanctuaries, has experienced several helicopter crashes and emergency landings recently.
Since the yatra commenced on April 30, five helicopter accidents have occurred along the pilgrimage route.
In light of safety concerns, the Ministry of Civil Aviation swiftly halted all commercial and passenger helicopter operations in the vicinity for June 15 and 16, with legal measures taken against Aryan Aviation.
A letter to the DGCA from Anoop Nautiyal, founder of the NGO Social Development for Communities Foundation, asserted that helicopters were operating across the state without radars, air traffic control (ATC), or real-time weather information.
Nautiyal described the Kedarnath route as one of the most perilous air paths in the country, emphasizing that weather conditions can shift unpredictably, and the absence of facilities made flying there reckless.
He contended that pilots were navigating these routes ‘blind.’
(Edited by : Sudarsanan Mani)
