Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) plan of constructing new helipads on the outskirts of Bangalore city is being critically reviewed as many feel that the move will yield few results. If sources are to be believed, then the BBMP identified five landfills on the outskirts to construct the proposed helipads, specifically aiming at facilitating the air ambulance services and for the easy movement of the VIPs in the city, causing no traffic congestion in the city.
The BBMP will consult the HAL and other government authorities for the technical feasibility of the project. Former mayor R Sampath Raj had proposed the project.
The civic body has no prior experience in aviation. Therefore the project would come through as a public-private partnership. The BBMP has identified Bagalur, Bellahalli, Bingipura, Mallasandra near Dasarahalli, and an old landfill near the Indian Institute of Management, Bengaluru (IIM-B) for the initiative.
Sarfaraz Khan, joint commissioner, health and solid waste management told the press that the BBMP will set up the helipads in the reclaimed plots, which are approximately one acre each. Since the city does not have any open spaces to construct the helipads, landfills are being used.
The BBMP has already earmarked Rs.5 crores for the project’s first phase in the 2018-19 budget.
According to traffic expert and former advisor to the state government on matters of traffic and infrastructure M N Srihari is quoted in Deccan Herald saying, “There are many helipads; they are not used due to a lack of helicopters. The BBMP doesn’t have any basic understanding of the construction of helipads. If they construct helipads on landfills, land may cave in. There are already around 300 helipads on the high rises in the city. I don’t understand why the BBMP is mulling helipads on the outskirts now.”
