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| Out of 198 body scanners, AAI gives seven to Srinagar airport, none to Jammu | | Discrimination is in Air! | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, July 20: Airports Authority of India (AAI) has once again left the Jammu airport unattended as seven body scanners will be deployed at the Srinagar airport and none at Jammu.
This is once again when discrimination has been meted out to the Jammu region with high tech facilities being made available at Srinagar alone while as Jammu remains a non-existent entity for the authorities.
As per the reports, the Airports Authority of India (AAI) has decided to procure 198 body scanners for 63 Indian airports that will replace the existing door frame metal detectors and hand-held scanners, besides pat-down searches of passengers to detect metallic objects. Seven such body scanners will be deployed at the Srinagar airport while as for Jammu, there is not even a single one in the pipeline.
Procurement of night-landing equipment was already done by Airport Authority of India and presently installation work is under progress.
Threadbare discussions were held regarding operational feasibility like high mast lights for funnel area, approach lights, surveillance, watch towers at strategic locations, proper lighting for proper visual profiling of vehicles, additional X-ray machines at drop gate, adequate security, smart fencing and other necessary infrastructural up gradation in this regard.
Early Times has already reported that the Jammu airport’s runway is smaller than the requisite length -by around 2000 feet-making the landing and takeoff difficult -all the times.
Former Governor NN Vohra had already conveyed to the central government his apprehensions of "avoidable accidents" in the prevalent circumstances. Situated 14-kilometers from the international border between India and Pakistan, the Jammu Airport also known as the Satwari Airport offers no more than "primitive services" to the fliers. Against the need of 8000 feet stretch, the runway built in asphalt is only 6,700 feet long. This deficit creates problems for the flight takeoff and landing when the pilot has to put in "extra efforts to control the aircraft”. Though this airport caters to around nine lakh passengers annually, successive regimes have failed to upgrade it in line with the needs of the times. Observers said the airport neglect affects tourism in the winter capital, which is famous as City of Temples. Jammu dominates pilgrimage tourism J&K. The cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi alone attracts over one crore pilgrims annually from far and wide of the country and beyond. But the airport is unable to meet the regional needs. The Airports Authority of India had published data and statistics of the airport between the time period of April 2013 to March 2014. According to this data, the Jammu airport is ranked the 27th busiest airport in India, with a total passenger traffic of 845,555. |
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