Helicopter services on the Chardham Yatra route were suspended for two days on Sunday after the crash of a helicopter who returned from Kedarnath.
Seven people, including the pilot, were killed on Sunday morning at the helicopter crash.
Minister -President Pushkar Singh Dhami, who held an emergency meeting with high officials to discuss the situation, said that Heli Services will remain suspended for two days because the weather is bad and the safety of passengers is the top priority of the state government.
He also told officials during the meeting to publish a strict SOP for heli operations in the state and to set up a control and command center here, in addition to taking action against those responsible for the crash.
“There should be no laxity with regard to compliance with DGCA standards in helicopter operations in the state. It must also be ensured that the pilots who are experiencing flies in the Upper Himalayan region,” said Dhami after the emergency meeting.
Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, tourism and secretary of civil aviation Sachin Kurve, secretary of disasters Vinod Kumar Suman, Ucada (Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority) and DGCA officials attended the meeting via video monitor.
Dhami attributed the crash to bad weather and said that Heli operations are suspended two days for two days and Monday.
“The weather is also bad and the safety of pilgrims is of the utmost importance. There will be no heli services today and tomorrow. Aviation companies, DGCA and Ucada have been asked to revise the situation thoroughly before resuming heli activities,” he said.
Helicoptercrashes or emergency landings take place with an alarming frequency on the Chardham Yatra route in Uttarakhand. The Chardham Yatra includes Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri Shrines.
The last crash with an Aryan Aviation PVT LTD Chopper that returns from Kedarnath at Guptkashi on Sunday morning is the fifth helicopter accident on the pilgrimage route since the start of the Yatra on April 30.
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Published on June 15, 2025
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