Religious tourism must be accompanied by more responsible administration, both in the air and on the ground | Photocredit: –
This has so far been a filthy year for the Indian Aviation, in which the Char Dham Pilgrimage Circuit in Uttarkhand reported no fewer than five helicoptercrashes in 40 days – the last on June 15, including seven people, including the pilot, near Gaurikund between Kedarnath and Guptkashi. On May 8, a crash in the vicinity of Gangotri claimed six lives. On 7 June a helicopter landed on the Gaurikund-Guptkashi Highway and a car damaged, but there was no fatalities in a miraculous way.
There have also been serious accidents in previous years. It is time for these services to be strictly investigated to prevent such accidents. The number of helicopter users in a season of 135 days would be almost 1.5 Lakh. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation has suspended the operations of Aryan aviation (involved in the tragedy of 15 June) and the Kestrel Aviation (flying the helicopter of 7 June). A press statement from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on 15 June said that the Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) will set up a ‘command and control room’ to check real-time operations, while ‘airworthiness and safety’ will supervise the activities in the Kedarnath Vallei. The DGCA has spoken to some technical criteria to reduce the maximum permissible tax on a helicopter.
Flying these machines in Uttarakhand is a risky affair anyway. This is discouraging terrain, where mountains stand like huge walls, often hidden by large, moving clouds. In the Kedarnath Valley it is known that the clouds come out of nowhere, even if there is no air traffic control system or reliable micro weather forecast to warn about such dangers. The skills of helicopter pilots would be tested heavily. Air safety would depend on air traffic control systems, the safety of the aircraft, the number of trips, the skill and experience of pilots and the weather in the region. The air safety infrastructure must rise at the earliest, and this includes inventorying the quality of the helicopters and their pilots.
A big problem here seems to be the income model for the helicopter services. The Ucada would charge a stiff landing costs, while the government has closed the rate at around £ 7,000. This apparently pushes operators to maximize their travels. According to some reports, the Ucada has now halved the number of daily sorties to less than 150 of almost 300. But for this standard it is important that rates are rationalized. It is absurd that they are at the same level as pony rides to the shrines. For the convenience of flying, passengers must pay. This will reduce the demand for sortions and therefore the risks involved in performing helicopter services such as pace. Religious tourism, which has to meet the needs of millions in a season in a season, must be accompanied by more responsible administration, both in the air and on site. The facilities for pilgrims must take into account the topography and ecological vulnerability of Uttarakhand.
Published on June 22, 2025
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