By ARUN PRATAP SINGH
Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 21 Jun: With repeated helicopter mishaps and the arrival of the monsoon, the Uttarakhand government has chosen not to take any more risks of possible crashes and has announced a complete suspension of helicopter services for the Char Dham Yatra from Sunday till the end of monsoon season or September 15. It may be recalled that though the chopper services were permitted to resume on June 17 following a recent crash in Gaurikund, adverse weather conditions have since then have grounded all the flights. Over 5,500 tickets have been cancelled in the past six days alone, and all helicopter operators are now withdrawing from the region.
Operations came to a halt after a tragic accident in Gaurikund, Kedarnath, on June 15. Although services reopened two days later, persistent inclement weather has since kept helicopters grounded, leaving thousands of disappointed pilgrims with unfulfilled travel plans and the authorities concerned were not ready to take any more risks.
Rahul Chaubey, the Nodal Officer for Char Dham Helicopter Services, confirmed that not a single helicopter has been able to take off over the last six days. With the monsoon now in full force, all operators will exit the operational zone starting June 22. Passengers who have already booked tickets for Kedarnath can still complete their pilgrimage through alternative means.
Helicopter services are expected to resume from September 15. Online bookings, which had been active, are being halted from Sunday onwards. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has not granted clearance for flights to Kedarnath, Badrinath, or Hemkund Sahib, further reaffirming the suspension. While it is standard practice to pause services during the monsoon each year, this year’s grounding has come earlier due to heightened safety concerns following multiple incidents.
So far this Yatra season, 39,247 pilgrims have travelled to Kedarnath by air, with eight companies operating helicopters. However, within the past 40 days, 13 lives have been lost in helicopter-related accidents, resulting in financial losses worth crores to aviation companies. In response to the recent Gaurikund crash, the state government has established a control room at Sahastradhara Helipad in Dehradun, where round-the-clock monitoring is underway.
Following the Gaurikund accident, the state government was forced to initiate a stringent action. Aryan Aviation, the concerned helicopter company, was suspended, licences of two pilots revoked, and a case was also registered against them. Additionally, the company’s manager has been fined and a formal complaint filed. Refunds are being processed for cancelled flights. The persistent threat of poor weather continues to obstruct any renewed flying operations.
It may be recalled that in the wake of these tragic incidents, questions have been raised about the absence of an Air Traffic Control (ATC) facility in Uttarakhand. Many believe lives could have been saved had such infrastructure been in place. The state government is now drafting its own regulatory guidelines, in coordination with the DGCA, to enhance safety protocols and minimise future aviation risks during the Char Dham Yatra.
The recent crash in Kedar Valley, which had claimed the lives of three members of a Maharashtra family among others, has renewed public concern about the safety of pilgrims and the pressing need for robust aviation oversight during the pilgrimage season.
