Ahd tragedy ignites aviation safety debate
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Ludhiana: People of Ludhiana have long waited for the Halwara civil airport to become operational, but concerns about aviation safety following the June 12 Air India crash in Ahmedabad have cast a long shadow on the prospects of improved air connectivity.
Citizens, alumni groups, and activists are demanding stringent safety measures in the wake of the unprecedented tragedy. It has heightened public fears and ignited debates over infrastructure development around airports.
While the demand and anticipation for full-fledged air operations from the the industrial city have remained for years fuelled by aspirations for better connectivity and economic growth, the AI tragedy has raised questions about whether safety is being compromised in the rush to operationalise airports.
For years, Ludhiana residents and business leaders have advocated for commercial flights, but now they are demanding a comprehensive re-evaluation of safety regulations and land-use planning around the airport zone.
Deeply affected by the Ahmedabad tragedy, the alumni of SCD Govt College said the govt acts only after a tragedy of this scale. Brij Bhushan Goyal, organising secretary of the alumni body, said, "The lives lost are a result of regulatory negligence.
Our politicians must act as guardians of public safety, not just as figureheads who react after public outrage."
They have raised the demand for a complete ban on further housing or urban development around the airport. They said the periphery of Halwara airport is seeing rapid urbanisation, especially under development schemes by Glada, but it is putting lives at risk in case of any air mishap. "The area is being consumed by housing colonies with no concern for aviation safety," Goyal added.
Col JS Gill (retd), a social activist said, "We need population-free safety buffers around all Indian airfields."
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