By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Helicopter service in the North-East will henceforth be monitored through “route mapping”. The new system has been introduced as a safety measure due to frequent chopper crashes in the region in the recent past claiming many a lives including high profile personalities.
“Henceforth there would be route mapping for the choppers to follow to ensure their safety,” Civil Aviation Minister Vayalar Ravi told reporters on the sidelines of the inauguration of a new terminal building of Shillong Airport on Saturday.
“They (helicopters) just cannot go here and there and we are trying to do it as fast as we can,” he said.
When asked about the frequent chopper crashes in the region, the minister said only the investigation reports would be able to throw light on the reasons leading to the crash.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu along with four others was killed in one of the worst chopper crashes in the State’s history recently.
The Minister, however, declined to speak much on the Pawan Hans chopper crash in Arunachal saying the investigation into the incident is on and the ministry is awaiting the report.
The services of Pawan Hans were terminated in the North-East soon after the incident.
The ministry has constituted an Independent Accident Investigation Committee (IAIC) recently to probe air crashes in the country.
But there was a hue and cry as it was reported that “tainted and inexperienced people” were inducted in the Committee.
”No names of the members of the Committee have been decided so far. The media reports are not correct,” Ravi said while defending the ministry.