IT IS beyond doubt a good news that the Government is working seriously on the concept of ‘emergency landing strips’ on highways for Indian Air Force aircraft or any rescue-and-relief operations aircraft in case such a need arises. As they dedicated to the nation a new ‘Emergency Landing Strip’ near Barmer in Rajasthan, Union Ministers Mr. Nitin Gadkari who is leading the national campaign of creating a world-class network of roads, and Defence Minister Mr. Rajnath Singh and Chief of Defence Services (CDS) General Bipin Rawat heralded a new era in which even surface transport system will be able to accommodate emergency landings of aircraft. And to make matters look different, Mr. Gadkari even promised Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal R.K.S. Bhadauria that such strips could be constructed in just 15 days, as against the earlier times that took as long as 1.5 years for such a task.

 

The sense of urgency the Government attaches to this task, thus, got highlighted vert well during that ceremony. Landing of a huge aircraft on the road is not as simple as it may seem. It needs specially made roads whose surface would not crack under the impact and weight of aircraft. This is the importance of the event.