Anupam Kumar, Patna. The installation of approach light in Patna Zoo has been stalled for two years awaiting the approval of the Union Environment Ministry. To enable aircraft to land even in low visibility at Patna Airport, it was decided to re-lay the instrument landing system in the year 2020-21 and install 720 meter Cat One approach light associated with it.
Work halted due to lack of environmental clearance
After the installation of this approach light, the visibility limit prescribed for safe landing of aircraft at Patna airport will be reduced by 300 meters and instead of the present 1000 meters, it will be able to land at a visibility of 700 meters. But due to lack of environmental clearance, this installation has not been completed yet and due to low visibility in the dense foggy season of December-January, there is a problem of cancellation, diversion and delay of flights.
360 meter approach light to be installed inside the zoo
720 meter approach light is to be installed in a straight line from the runway edge of Patna Airport to gate number two of the zoo. In this, 360 meter Cat One approach light is to be installed in place of the normal approach light installed in the Patna Airport complex and its adjoining Peer Ali Path part, while 360 meter Cat One approach light is to be installed inside the Zoo. But the Environment Ministry did not give permission to install approach light in Patna Zoo because its harsh light is likely to have an adverse effect on the health of the animals living in the zoo. Therefore, even after two years this project has not been completed.
Chief Secretary is looking into the matter
We have completed the work of reinstalling ILS last month itself. This has been stopped due to the Environment Ministry’s objection to the installation of approach lights in Patna Zoo. We have taken up the related matter. This is being looked into at the level of the Chief Secretary and he has taken it up with the Union Environment Ministry. As soon as we get the approval, we will start the work of installing the entire approach light afresh and taking it to gate number two of Patna Zoo.
– Anchal Prakash, Director Patna Airport
Visibility of 1400 meters is necessary for Darbhanga airport.
Aircraft landing at Darbhanga Airport use the runway of the Air Force Base Station where ILS Cat One is not installed nor are there modern approach lights. Due to this, visibility of 1400 meters is necessary for planes to land there. Due to this, many times the planes are not able to land there even in less fog and they have to divert to Patna.
Visibility of 1000 meters is required for landing in Gaya also.
ILS Cat One has been installed in Gaya. Approach lights are also installed but due to their not being modern, visibility of 1000 meters is necessary for the aircraft to land there.
ILS Cat One being installed in Deoghar
At present ILS is not installed in Deoghar, due to which visibility of 1400 meters is required for aircraft to land there too. But work is underway on the project of installing ILS Cat One, after completion of which aircraft will be able to land there too at a visibility of 1000 meters. ILS Cat One has also been installed in Ranchi. ILS Cat One has also been installed in Ranchi, due to which planes can land there in visibility of one thousand meters. By increasing the length of the approach light and replacing the existing approach light with a state-of-the-art approach light, aircraft will be able to land there also at a visibility of 700 meters.
Cat 2 instrument landing system installed in Banaras
Cat two instrument landing system has been installed at Banaras Airport. Due to this, planes can land here only at a visibility of 650 meters.
Planes can land even at visibility of just 100 meters at seven major airports
ILS Cat 3 system has been installed at seven major airports of the country. These include Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad airports. In these, visibility of only 100 meters is required for the plane to land. This is the reason why planes do not face any problem in landing here even in dense fog.