MADC made nodal agency for building helipads, providing air ambulances

The appointment of MADC as nodal agency for the construction of helipads and to provide air ambulance facilities would enable the use of air ambulance in case of emergency and accidents on the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Expressway and Mumbai-Pune expressway.

Shinde, who presided as chairman of the MADC, directed that night-landing facilities should be made available at airports or runways in the state if possible. He also reviewed the development works of various airports including Shirdi, Amravati and Karad.

According to an official, the directorate of civil aviation has the authority to construct helipads in the state. The official said that it was agreed to give these powers to the MADC as the nodal agency so that helipads can be set up at the taluka level as well.

It was decided that helipads should be in the area of every police colony in the state so that these grounds will be used for police drills. “It was also decided to give rights to the company to develop the area around Shirdi Airport (Asha-Area Around Shirdi Hub Airport). A proposal of Rs 527 crore for the construction of a new integrated terminal at Shirdi was approved along with the renovation of the existing airport runway and the cost of Rs 62 crore,” the official said.

For the development of Belora airport in Amravati, efforts are being made to start the country’s largest air training centre by Tata Group’s Air Vistara.

It was also decided to take back five airports of MIDC in the state that were give to private companies and take legal procedures if necessary. “The airports of MIDC in Latur, Nanded, Baramati, Dharashiv and Yavatmal were given to a private company, of which Dharashiv and Yavatmal airports are not operational. The process of taking back all these five airports has been started,” the official said.