Govt mulls using highways in far-flung areas for flight landing

June 17, 2016

Mumbai, Jun 17: Union Road Minister Nitin Gadkari today said the government was working on a scheme under which highways in far-flung areas can be used for aircraft landings and take-offs, and airports can be made where none exist.flight

"Along with Defence Ministry, we are thinking on a proposal. We are making our national highways of cement and concrete. We can use them as airports and are identifying sites. The vehicular traffic will be stopped when an aircraft will be landing and once it leaves, the vehicle traffic will resume," Gadkari said at an event by Forum for Integrated National Security (FINS) here.

He clarified that the plan was to use the highway network to handle both civilian and military aircraft movement.

The discussions are being held with the Defence Ministry because many of these sites can be near the border areas, he said.

Even as he declined to disclose the sites which can be used for such aircraft movements or the number of such sites, Gadkari cited pockets in Arunachal Pradesh, which can benefit from such an arrangement.

He added that the traffic was also low in Arunachal Pradesh which can easily facilitate the flight movements as is being envisaged.

When asked if the roads will be able to take the aircraft, Gadkari said a majority of the new highways are being built of cement and concrete, which can comfortably take such loads.

It can be noted that a few years ago, the Indian Air Force had landed one of its frontline fighter aircrafts on a highway in north India to assess defence preparedness.

Gadkari elaborated that separate holding areas can be created along a highway where the aircraft can taxi to after landing, and can come back on the highway for take off after de-boarding and boarding.

He said having such an arrangement, where the road was put to use for multiple uses will be very cheap as compared to erecting a full-fledged airport.

Gadkari said the government has accorded high priority for expanding air connectivity and wants to build 350 airports across the country.

Meanwhile, making a case for ending corrupt practices at ports, Gadkari said the network of "liasoning and servicing agents" which ensure passage of containers should be destroyed. He also welcomed complaints in this regard.

Gadkari also said that the country was interested in building a road in Myanmar, which can be further extended into Thailand and can help serve India's interests deeper in the south east Asia.

Having clinched the Chabahar Port in Iran, India will also be looking at helping create road and rail connectivity in Iran so that its interests in Afghanistan and further into Central Asia can be served, he said.

He said the national highway network, which spans 1.55 lakh kms at present, will touch 2 lakh kms in the next 2-3 months.

Gadkari said he has requested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to relocate some of the logistic parks on the upcoming bypasses which will help reduce pollution in the national capital.

He said amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act are also being planned and added that one of the plans is to make it compulsory to have air conditioned cabins for trucks, given the large amount of time drivers spend in the vehicles in hot condition.

A car scrapping policy is also in the works, which will come into effect along with switching to lower polluting engines, Gadkari said, adding that the scrapping of cars has the potential to make the country as the number one car manufacturing hub in the world.

While impressing the need for the people to be more aware, Gadkari said accidents like the one on the Mumbai-Pune expressway which killed 17 people could have been avoided if people were not mending a car puncture in the middle of the road.

Comments

arm
 - 
Saturday, 18 Jun 2016

Gadkari thinks this is Sugar Cane Farm, Where he can go and relieve him self.

suleman beary
 - 
Saturday, 18 Jun 2016

Talking non sense.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 19,2020

Bengaluru, May 19: In the wake of assurance by Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa to look into their demands, hotels and restaurants in Karnataka today decided to continue takeaway services for three more days.

Hotels were also exempted from the total lockdown on Sundays in Karnataka - under the state guidelines issued for Lockdown 4.0.

The Karnataka Pradesh Hotel and Restaurants' Association (KPHRA) had earlier threatened to stop takeaway services over refusal to allow dine-in facility in the fourth phase of the lockdown. 

B Chandrashekar Hebbar, president of KPHRA said that the CM urged hoteliers to wait for three days, assuring that a decision will be taken. 

"We appraised the government over the mounting losses by keeping just take-away services open. Noting that social distancing and other guidelines will be followed, we urged him to allow dine-in facility," he said.

The Association will wait three more days before discontinuing parcel services, Hebbar said. 

The government also provided relaxation to hotels from the total lockdown announced in Karnataka on Sundays, he said. 

A package for hotel employees such as cooks and waiters, along the lines of those announced for farmers, cab drivers and weavers, was also sought in a petition submitted to the chief minister.

In fact the state government had expressed its willingness to open hotels under the Lockdown 4.0, subject to restrictions. However, the central guidelines do not allow dine-in services.

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News Network
March 30,2020

Mangaluru Mar 30: The Mangaluru South Police has registered a criminal case against a man over a 'derogatory post' against the district administration. According to DC Sindhu B Rupesh, the man identified as Melwyn Pinto had sent a derogatory message on WhatsApp.

She warned on taking stringent action against miscreants who are spreading false information and rumours about district administration under DM Act provisions.

Meanwhile, City Commissioner of Police Dr P S Harsha said, "We have noticed people going around on merry rides without purpose either on two-wheelers or in cars during the lockdown period."

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News Network
January 28,2020

Jan 28: Hindu temple processions with an elephant adorned in ornaments carrying the idol, with percussionists and devotees walking side by side, are no new sight in Kerala. However, a similar procession in Kerala's cultural capital, Thrissur, turned heads. Hundreds of Muslims were seen holding hands and clearing traffic to help the procession move smoothly.

Muslims made way for the passage of a Hindu temple procession during their protest against Citizenship Amendment Act(ACT) in Thrissur on Saturday, January 25.

Various Muslim organisations had organised a mass protest in the Swaraj ground in the town. On the same day, the local Bhaktapriyam temple's procession was also taking place. Stuck in a dilemma, the temple authorities approached the police and the Muslim organisations to find a solution. The Muslim organisations then promised to help proceed the temple procession without any obstacles.

Nearly a thousand people who had turned up for the protest volunteered to clear traffic and control the crowd so that the temple procession could smoothly pass through the town.

A video of the procession was shared on Facebook by the Thrissur City Police on Saturday, which showed Muslims holding hands on either side of the procession to make way.

"Humanity is bigger than religion. That's the lesson the residents of Thrissur are giving to the country. Thrissur is truly the cultural capital of Kerala," read the caption of the post in Malayalam. The video soon went viral and was viewed by over 36k views.

Comments

Abdullah
 - 
Tuesday, 28 Jan 2020

I am sure that sanghis especially Amit Shah got lose motion on getting this motion.  But what we can do, even Doctor cant stop it.   Enjoy it dears. 

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