Arunachal's long wait came true when the first flight, a calibration aircraft, operated by the Airports Authority of India, landed at the Greenfield Airport, Hollongi to calibrate the airport instrumentation systems ahead of the August 15 operationalization of the airport on Tuesday. The Dornier aircraft is the first of successive calibration flights which will continue to ensure that the airport is safe and fit for inauguration of passenger aircrafts as per schedule.
It is indeed incredible news for Arunachal, which is all set to get its first full-fledged airport this Independence Day. This project which is the crowning glory amongst all developmental projects has been relentlessly monitored by the state’s who’s who including the Centre.
The fruition of this airport will be the fulfillment of people’s aspirations who due to lack of an airport were compelled to undertake a 7-plus hour road trip to Guwahati to board a flight. The inauguration of the Bogibeel bridge over the Brahmaputra a few years back to a large extent brought ease to the people of several districts of Arunachal as Dibrugarh in Assam is a hub for medical tourism with a fully functional airport. A three and a half-hour drive from Itanagar, catching a flight from Dibrugarh has become more convenient and cost-effective for the average traveler. A few years back, one couldn’t have imagined waking up in the national capital and having evening tea at Itanagar!
Being the nerve centre of the state, the operationalisation of the Hollongi Greenfield Airport will ignite a spark which will have a major socio-economic impact. Till recently, Arunachal relied heavily on roads as the only communication link. Given the difficult terrain and harsh monsoon season, road connectivity proved to be arduous and also non reliable being prone to landslides. The largely pitiable road infrastructure has been a roadblock for development and the desperation becomes pronounced during health emergencies and disasters.
Arunachal has several Advanced Landing Grounds operational and there has been a growing demand for allowing dual use of ALGs for defence as well as civilian purposes. Looking at the ground realities, there is logic in the demand. There is a need for working out an arrangement for concurrent use in peacetime of the airstrips being developed by the Defence Ministry and Airports Authority of India since these airstrips are also crucial for the needs of the local administration and tourism. Such a synergistic relationship would be of great use in case of evacuation of patients, for use by the National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Responses Force during disasters and also by law enforcement agencies.
Kenter Joya Riba
(Managing Editor)
She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313
<< Back to News List