To be constructed by Pawan Hans Helicopters Ltd. (PHHL) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Rs 65 crore helipad is proposed to be spread in an area of 25 acres of land in sector 36, Rohini, official sources said on Wednesday. The plot has been allotted by DDA as per the Master Plan of Delhi with no habitation up to 2.5 km distance.
The 33 TOR finalised at a recent meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the environment ministry include public hearing for the project as per Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006, and the issues raised by the public to be addressed in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP).
The project proponent has been asked to submit various details such as environmentally sensitive places, rehabilitation of communities/villages as well anticipated environmental impacts of the project and mitigations measures.
Though the helipad is not likely to take off before the Commonwealth Games slated this October as anticipated earlier, it promises to improve the city's connectivity to other states and will be critical during medical emergencies or disaster relief operations.
According to the sources, the main helipad will house a runway, hangars, parking facilities and a departure/arrival terminal. Earlier the Pawan Hans Ltd had planned to develop the project near the Akshardham temple in Mayur Vihar. But this proposal was rejected citing threat to the banks of Yamuna.