GUWAHATI: The Centre has proposed setting up an Emergency Landing Facility (ELF) on two stretches of national highways in Nagaon and Baksa districts of Assam.
There are seven such stretches in India where ELF will be available. Of this, work has been completed on three ELF airstrips, while work on the remaining four is in progress.
Of the four under-construction ELF strips, one is being constructed in Assam’s Dibrugarh district. The emergency landing facility is being constructed on a 3.5-km stretch of the four-lane highway. The emergency landing facility can be used for strategic purposes as well as for rescue and relief operations during natural calamities.
If the proposed ELF strips get the green signal, Assam will have three such ELF airstrips for emergency landing of aircrafts.
According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), the proposed ELF strips in Nagaon and Baksa districts will be taken up based on the outcome of feasibility studies.
ELF highway airstrips enhance the flexibility of air operations during contingencies and are invaluable assets during Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in far-flung areas.
The IAF and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) are working jointly for the creation of ELF stretches at suitable locations.
