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| Jammu airport in shambles, Govt busy making Srinagar airport luxurious | | Irony of sorts ! | |  Early Times Report
Jammu, July 6: The authorities are making arrangements for night landing at the Srinagar airport that too at a time when the dilapidated condition of the Jammu airport is becoming talk of the town.
A video showing rain water leaking from the ceiling of the Jammu airport is making rounds on the social media. However, the authorities are busy projecting airport of Srinagar as the promising place in the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, on Friday said that efforts are underway for operationalisation of night-landing facilities at Srinagar airport and all the requisite requirements will be met soon in this regard.
The Divisional Commissioner made these remarks while reviewing the modalities to start night-landing of flights at the Srinagar airport. The meeting was informed that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has granted necessary permission for operating night flights.
It was said that the state government had already released Rs 3.86 crore for meeting the expenses of raising ancillary infrastructural facilities for night hours at the airport for the convenience of travellers and the staff.
Procurement of night-landing equipment was already done by Airport Authority of India and presently installation work is under progress which will be completed by July 27. 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. 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 take off 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 in the state. 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 AAI 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. This was a decrease of 1.9% from 2012-2013. |
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