Today, the country’s first Airstrip (Emergency Landing Field) built on the highway has been inaugurated in Barmer, Rajasthan. This airstrip, strategically important, was inaugurated with the emergency landing drill of C-130 J Hercules. During this emergency landing drill, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Defense Chief General Bipin Rawat were also on board the Hercules aircraft. Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria was also present during this.
This is the first emergency landing field for Indian Air Force aircraft on the NH-925A National Highway. Both the ministers oversaw the operation of several aircraft at the prepared emergency landing facility on ‘NH-925′. Sukhoi-30 MKI fighter aircraft and IAF’s AN-32 military transport aircraft and Mi-17V5 helicopter also made an ’emergency landing’ at the ELF.
According to an official statement, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has constructed ‘ELF’ on a three-kilometre stretch of the Satta-Gandhav section of NH-925A for emergency landing for the Indian Air Force. The facility is part of the newly developed ‘two-lane paved shoulder’ of Gagaria-Bakhsar and Satta-Gandhav sections under Bharatmala Pariyojana with a total length of 196.97 km and a cost of Rs 765.52 crore. The ‘paved shoulder’ is said to be the part which is near that part of the highway through which vehicles regularly pass.
The project will improve connectivity between the villages of Barmer and Jalore districts located on the International Border, the statement said. Its location in the western border area will help the Indian Army in surveillance as well as in strengthening the infrastructure. This will be the first time that the National Highway will be used by the Indian Air Force (IAF) to land an aircraft in case of emergency.
The construction of ELF has been completed within 19 months. Its construction work was started in July 2019 and it was completed in January 2021. It has been built by ‘GHV India Private Limited’ under the supervision of IAF and NHAI.