Airport to come up where Nehru survived a mishap

RAICHUR: If everything goes as planned, an airport will come up soon on a historic site in Raichur, where country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru survived a flight mishap.
The district administration has already set aside Rs 40 crore, a portion of the project fund, to establish the airport at Yermarus village on a sprawling 404 acres of government land. Already there is an airstrip on the land that in 1960’s saved the life of Nehru, whose flight caught fire in a cockpit en route Chennai from Hyderabad.
Venkatesh Patil Vatgal, son of freedom fighter Kashi Rao Patil, said while the PM was flying from Hyderabad to Chennai, the pilot spotted fire in the cockpit.The pilot had to make a landing immediately and luckily he spotted an airstrip at Yermarus. “The pilot, taking a calculated risk, landed the flight and averted the tragedy. Arrangements were made for the PM’s brief stay and later he flew in another plane. My father was a witness to this incident,” Patil said.
About six months ago, Karnataka Small Scale Industry Development Corporation (KSSIDC) conducted the obstacle limitation surfaces (OLS) study to check feasibility for establishing the airport, said DC R Venkatesh. The OLS are conceptual surfaces associated with a runway, which identify the lower limits of the aerodrome airspace above which objects become obstacles to aircraft operations, as per DGCA norms. After completion of the study, KSSIDC has submitted a report observing that the land is feasible. However, the government agency has also suggested removal of some obstacles, the DC informed.
The DC further said that a part of 404 acres has already been registered in the name of the aerodrum, while some pockets are with the revenue department. He said currently revenue and forest department officials are conducting surveys to demarcate boundaries. The district administration will submit a proposal to the state government seeking grant of permission for implementation.