UP Government Greenlights 16 Permanent Helipads in Prayagraj District
The Uttar Pradesh government has given its official approval for the construction of 16 permanent helipads across tehsil and block headquarters in Prayagraj district. This strategic initiative is designed to significantly strengthen the region's emergency medical response capabilities, enhance disaster management protocols, improve security operations, and facilitate smoother VVIP movement.
Project Details and Financial Allocation
The ambitious project is slated to be implemented at an estimated total cost of Rs 4.80 crore. Each individual helipad will be constructed with a budget of Rs 30 lakh. This allocation is further broken down into Rs 20 lakh dedicated to the helipad construction itself and an additional Rs 10 lakh earmarked for the construction of a boundary wall around each site.
Implementation and Oversight Committee
The process of land identification for these helipads has already commenced. Reports are currently being sought from sub-divisional magistrates and tehsildars to finalize suitable locations. Construction work is scheduled to begin immediately following the finalization of the land parcels.
To ensure effective oversight and timely execution, the state government has constituted a dedicated 4-member special committee. This committee will be headed by District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, who will lead the project's implementation efforts.
Strategic Locations and Rationale
According to the approved proposal, the construction plan is designed with efficiency in mind. At locations where the tehsil and block headquarters are situated in the same place, only a single helipad will be constructed. Accordingly, single helipads are planned for the following tehsil headquarters:
- Karchhana
- Meja
- Koraon
- Soraon
- Phulpur
- Handia
Separate helipads will be constructed at Bara tehsil and Shankargarh. In addition, helipads are slated to come up at the Chaka and Manda block headquarters. The block headquarters of Mauaima, Bahadurpur, Kaurihar, and Bhagwatpur will also receive one helipad each.
Officials have stated that this plan aims to eliminate the repeated expenditure associated with setting up temporary helipads during VVIP visits. More importantly, it seeks to substantially improve the district's overall emergency response capacity, ensuring faster aid delivery during crises.
Part of a Larger Statewide Initiative
The Prayagraj district plan is not an isolated project but forms a crucial part of a larger, statewide initiative to enhance disaster preparedness and extend administrative reach across Uttar Pradesh.
The current status across the state reveals the scale of this endeavor:
- Tehsil Headquarters: Out of 351 tehsil headquarters in Uttar Pradesh, only 74 currently possess permanent helipads. Proposals for constructing permanent helipads at the remaining 277 tehsils are at various stages of planning and approval.
- Block Headquarters: The situation at the block level is similar. Out of 826 block headquarters, a mere 60 have temporary helipad facilities. The state government has plans to establish permanent helipads at the remaining 766 block headquarters, mirroring the strategy being implemented in Prayagraj.
This comprehensive infrastructure push underscores the Uttar Pradesh government's commitment to building a more resilient and responsive administrative framework, with Prayagraj serving as a key district in this transformative effort.
