The Jammu and Kashmir government has cleared a project to lay an emergency landing strip in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a militancy-hit area.
According to a notice from the Geology and Mining Department, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been awarded the project to build the 3.5-km emergency landing facility at Bijbehara in Anantnag.
The earth work has started for the strip, which can handle even fighter jets. The project will come up parallel to the Srinagar-Banihal National Highway at Semthan. Around 49,000 tonnes of extracted earth is being laid to complete the strip.
“There is no need to seek clearance from the Environmental Department for the liner projects,” the order said.
It is the third airstrip in the Kashmir Valley, after those in Awantipora and Srinagar, that will be used by the Indian Air Force for its exercises.