Major General Ramesh Shanmugam, Additional Director General of the National Cadet Corps, leads an official team inspecting the airstrip at Sathram in Idukki on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The reconstruction work on the airstrip at Sathram, near Vandiperiyar, in Idukki is set to begin soon.
Major General Ramesh Shanmugam, Additional Director General of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), led an official team that visited the spot on Wednesday and reviewed the condition of the airstrip.
According to officials, in July 2022, a portion of the airstrip was washed away following a landslip caused by heavy rain. Around 100 m of the shoulder on the right side of the airstrip caved in, and a deep crack developed on the airstrip. The caved-in portion is yet to be reconstructed. Officials said that the Forest department opposed the construction work on the caved in portion and work on around 400 m of road to the airstrip.
The NCC officials said that earlier the Public Works department (PWD) had decided to complete the work after getting permission from the Forest department. But the Forest department had not yet issued permission and claimed that the area, including the airstrip, was notified as reserve forestland.
Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman said that the Sathram airstrip project would be a reality soon.
According to the MLA, the final notification of the reserve forest had not yet been issued, and the government has decided to take over the land. The Forest and Revenue Ministers would conduct a high-level meeting and would take further steps.
Mr. Soman said that the Chief Minister was directly monitoring the Sathram airstrip project, and the construction works would be completed soon.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Shanmugam stated that Sathram would be the most-important airstrip for the NCC. “Other than training for small aircraft, the NCC is also planning to set up drone training and drone licensing at the Sathram airstrip,” he said.
“The NCC has already completed all arrangements for flying training. The airstrip will be a reality after resolving the claims of the Forest department,” said the official.
According to officials, the Public Works department has invited tender for soil testing for the construction work on the caved in portion of the airstrip.
According to Forest department sources, once an area is notified under section 4 of the Kerala Forest Conservation Act 1961, the area has the status of a reserve forest. “The permission of the Union government is required for the diversion of forestland for development purposes,” said the source.
NCC officials say the airstrip can provide flying training for 1,000 NCC air wing cadets a year. The airstrip’s construction began on May 21, 2017.
Published – May 21, 2025 06:58 pm IST
