Previous
File
Current
File
Lakhs
to witness Bangalore air show, disaster
management plan in place
|
|
|
An array of aircraft lining up on the eve of the
Aero India show in Bangalore on Feb 10
|
Bangalore:
Defence Minister AK Antony will inaugurate the 7th
edition of Aero India 2009 show on Wednesday that will
include spectacular display of various flying machines
from across the globe. The show is breaking path in many
areas. The facilitation of business-to-business (B2B)
meetings between aviation industries aided by special
software has evinced keen interest. More than 300 online
registrations will make the interaction between business
houses faster and quicker. Secretary, Defence Production,
Pradeep Kumar disclosed this on the eve of the opening
ceremony. Aimed at involving youth participation in aerospace
engineering, students from IIT Mumbai, Kanpur, Chennai
and Vellore Institute of Technology will actively participate
and interact with the aviation companies.
A
special hall for students in the exhibition area will
also display exhibits and aircraft models introducing
the concept of aero space. IAF officials will meet and
interact with the visiting students. The handing over
of the keys to the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) on
display at the air show by the Defence Minister to the
Ecuadorian Air Chief tomorrow will also herald the saga
of the first of the exports of the Dhruv ALH from the
stables of HAL. This is the first instance of India exporting
ALH and talks are also on with Mauritius and Surinam in
this regard informed Shri Pradeep Kumar while replying
to a media querry.
A comprehensive disaster
management plan has been chalked out and security
|
|
|
The
Surya Kiran aerobatic team displaying tri-colour
smoke during a rehearsal of Aero India
|
has been enhanced in close coordination with Ministry
of Home Affairs, Karnataka Government and Police, Pradeep
Kumar said. An emergency drill has been carried out during
6-9 February. A 3-tier security is in place and 140 close
circuit television sets (CCTV) have been installed as
compared to 30 in 2007. For the first time, Radio Frequency
Identity Card (RFID) have been issued which will help
in tracking the movement of people visiting the show.
This will help in preventing unauthorized entry into areas
other than the one indicated on these specially made cards.
Apart from this, three platoons of CISF and a Special
Forces team Garuda of the IAF will be deployed in the
area. In an indication of growing popularity of the show,
it is expected that about 1 lakh 25 thousand people will
be visiting the Yelahanka station of IAF this year. In
addition to this, the show will see participation of about
50 thousand business visitors. Last edition of Aero Show
had seen participation of 1 lakh general public and 30
thousand business visitors.
Medicare needs operational, air ambulances
to evacuate in emergency
With
an expectancy of a very large turnout at the Aero India-09
that gets underway tomorrow, the IAF together with the
State Disaster Management Agency has put together an elaborate
medicare plan operational that will take care of all onsite
medical challenges. A modified AN-32 fitted with 24 stretchers,
two Mi-8 helicopters with 12 stretchers and one ALH Dhruv
fitted with two stretchers will remain on 'hot standby'
for 'search and rescue' and casualty evacuation roles
during all aerial displays. Wing Commander Sreekanth Reddy,
Captain of the AN-32 informed, 'It would only take under
11 minutes to fly down to the HAL airfield to evacuate
casualties if need be. This will save precious travel
time avoiding the traffic snarls that
are bound to be there'. The aircraft in the air-ambulance
|
|
|
A
vintage aircraft used in World War II by the IAF
|
configuration is fitted with onboard integrated-oxygen
system. The casualties onboard will be managed by a team
comprising a doctor and four medical assistants. Apart
from reserving 10 percent of the beds in the Command Hospital,
Medical Aid Posts (MAP) have been erected at the air display
viewing area and other venues. With 24 hospitals standing
by, four civil medical teams, 18 ambulances, 30 hospital
beds at the MAP, 24 doctors, 96 paramedical staff and
36 stretcher boys, the medical action plan is fully operational,
informed Wing Commander Indranil Chakraborty, an aerospace
medicine specialist in charge of the MAP at the Aero India
venue, Yelahanka.
- Feb 10, 2009
