The trial run on the district’s first airstrip at Sathram, near Vandiperiyar, will be held on March 15. This is part of the 100-day programme of the government, Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman has said.
He said discussions were held with a private plantation for the land for the airstrip and land acquisition had already been completed.
This is the National Cadet Corps’ (NCC) only airstrip in the country and is being constructed by the Public Works Department (PWD). The airstrip will provide training for NCC Air Wing cadets in flying small aircraft and there will be facilities for their accommodation. The NCC will provide training to 1,000 cadets at the facility in a year. The NCC’s two-seater Virus SW-80 aircraft will be the first one to land on the airstrip.
The construction of the airstrip started on 12 acres allotted by the Revenue Department on May 21, 2017. The total cost of the airstrip was nearly ₹13 crore. This is the first airstrip in the district not having air or rail connectivity.
According to NCC officials, the district administration can use the airstrip for disaster management purposes. The Civil Aviation Ministry has already given the green signal for landing aircraft at the airstrip.
Mr. Soman said discussions were progressing with the Forest department on the complaints that the airstrip would damage the environment of the adjacent Periyar Tiger Reserve.
