Of the 12 major chopper crashes reported nationwide, 7 occurred in Uttarakhand. Of the 30 tragic deaths in these crashes, 21 were in our state alone.

A recent statement by Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol in the Rajya Sabha has revealed a deeply concerning reality for our state of #Uttarakhand. The founder of the SDC foundation based in Dehradun, renowned social environment activist and author Anoop Painuly is surprised that there was no mention of this anywhere else other than in the Times of India that carried this as their lead story day before yesterday on July 30, 2025.

In a statement Nautiyal said that in the last five years, our state has accounted for nearly two-thirds of all helicopter accidents and fatalities in India.

Of the 12 major chopper crashes reported nationwide, 7 occurred in Uttarakhand. Of the 30 tragic deaths in these crashes, 21 were in our state alone.

These numbers that were presented in the Rajya Sabha are a clear and troubling signal that something is fundamentally broken in how we manage our helicopter operations, especially during the Char Dham Yatra and elsewhere revealed Nautiyal saying further that if Uttarakhand ever needed confirmation that we are the most vulnerable and helicopter accident-prone state in the country, this statement in the Rajya Sabha leaves no room for doubt.

Regarding what needs to be done now as remedy Nautiyal said that DGCA India, UCADA, the state government and everyone else who is part of the aviation sector in Uttarakhand knows the problems and has enough ideas on how to work towards aero safety. Its not that they don’t know what needs to be done, what is happening instead is that with scant regards for carrying capacity, safety protocols and a blind pursuit to establish new records during Char Dham Yatra and other religious festivals; the entire system bends its back to accommodate far larger numbers that it can safely manage said the Dehradun based activist adding that the system repeatedly stretches itself beyond safe limits, and the consequences at an aggregated, national level are now for all to see.

He reiterated : Blame alone will not solve anything and we need to move on with a solution oriented approach. The first step in this “passage of safety” is an acknowledgment that we have a problem.

Once that is done, we need a 360 degree state-level audit of all helipads and air operations, a serious relook at carrying capacity, better coordination between aviation operators and district administrations, and above all, a commitment to putting lives before numbers and records.

He urged the Chief Minister Shri Pushkar Sing Dhami @pushkardhami, the states Civil Aviation Department, and all stakeholders to treat this as not only as a crisis but as a call to action. We all want a safer Uttarakhand which is only possible with commitment and a fierce sense of responsibility for the ones who “fly for faith” in the turbulent skies of our state said Anoop Nautiyal.