Our Correspondent
Kiphire | January 8
A Pawan Hans chopper successfully carried out a trial landing at the freshly cemented Kiphire helipad on Friday.
Following the crash-landing of a chopper at Meluri on November 24, 2015, chopper service to Kiphire district was suspended for more than a month because the helipad was not cemented.
Nine people were injured during the crash-landing at Meluri helipad. After a thick cloud of dust kicked up by the rotor from the un-cemented surface of the helipad, the pilot had reportedly lost control of the chopper.
Friday’s the trial landing was witnessed by the district administration, DBs, NGOs and the NST department officials. The cementing of the 20 sq meter helipad was financed by power minister Kipili Sangtam and work supervised by Likhumse, PS to the minister along with party workers.
NST department officials said chopper service could have been suspended for more days had the power minister not taken personal initiative.
With the successful trial landing, choppers service is expected to resume without delay. Since the suspension of the chopper service, Kiphire citizens have been facing a lot of inconveniences for need of a quicker transport, particularly in times of emergency.
A number of patients who were required to undergo treatment outside of the district were compelled to suffer untold miseries due to the suspension of the chopper service, department officials said.
Mention may be made that it takes 10-12 hours by-road to reach Kiphire from Dimapur. It takes only 45 minutes in a chopper.
