Will provide helipad sites near stations: State to HC

Rajan A Kop, Joint Secretary, UDD, filed the affidavit in response to the request made by the Central Railway (CR) to provide 14 additional helipads beyond the existing helipads for evacuation of injured persons to hospitals to carry out rescue and relief operations due to incidents or accidents.

“The state government in-principle agrees to designate additional sites for use as helipads and for that matter proposes to issue directives under Section 154 of the Maharashtra Regional and Town Planning Act, (MRTPA) 1966 to permit use of layout open spaces, parks, gardens and recreational grounds towards helipads in case of emergency. I submit that the government will take a decision in this regard in two weeks,” stated the affidavit.

The 14 locations of helipads, which have been suggested by CR, are mostly open spaces like recreational grounds, playgrounds, stadium, playgrounds of educational institutions etc, the affidavit further stated.

The Development Control Regulations of planning authorities and regional development authorities are presently silent regarding the use of helipads in such open spaces in case of emergency, said Kop.

Kop further said that his department proposed to carry out an amendments to permit temporary use of a playground for the purposes of disaster management, including the use as helipads. “Necessary proposal in this respect for seeking Cabinet approval shall be moved shortly,” the HC was told by Kop.

The government had also asked the railways to get suitability of the open spaces to be used as helipads verified from the Director General of Civil Aviation and claimed that the response from them is still awaited. The HC was acting on a bunch of PILs on issues related to railways.

ruhi.bhasin@expressindia.com