111 persons airlifted from Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti

MANALI: The winter emergency flight service between Kullu and landlocked Lahaul conducted return sorties to three different helipads in Lahaul on Friday and airlifted 111 passengers including two children and some patients. The chopper could not take off since January 15 due to inclement weather conditions.
Clear weather on Friday allowed Himachal chief minister’s chopper to cross the Pir Panjal mountain range between Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti that generally remains covered with dense clouds.The first sortie was conducted between Kullu and Stingri where the chopper took 17 passengers including one child to Stingri and brought back another batch of 17 people to Kullu. As many as 20 passengers were taken to Udaipur helipad in the second sortie and 21 passengers including one child flew to Kullu.
Though only two sorties were scheduled for Friday, one extra flight was organized to provide relief to the people. The third sortie had passengers who wanted to land at Stingri helipad, but as there was not enough time so the chopper with 18 passengers of Stingri landed at Tandi helipad at District Institute for Education and Training (Diet) and around 18 passengers were brought back to Kullu.
A few patients, who wanted to go to Kullu, Shimla or Chandigarh for better treatment, were also brought to Kullu at Bhuntar airport where ambulances were already stationed to pick them up.
Liaison officer for emergency chopper service at Kullu, Yog Raj Dhiman, said 111 persons were airlifted on Friday. “Two sorties will be conducted to Tandi (Diet) and Stingri on Saturday but it will totally depend on weather conditions,” he said.
Helicopter will remain the only mode of transportation for people of snow-bound Lahaul which is cut off from other parts of the state due to winter snowfall. Border Roads Organization (BRO) who looks after the maintenance works of Manali-Keylong-Leh road will start snow clearance from highway from March 1 and Lahaul valley will be reconnected by road probably by first week of May.