The air evacuation of its wounded soldiers from the remote LWE areas continues to be a challenge for the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF). In such a situation, the force is considering to build more helipads with night landing facility. The paramilitary force has deployed 40 per cent of its total strength (1.20 lakh personnel) for anti-Naxal operations in various states. The force has deployed its jawans and special jungle warfare units like Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (COBRA) in some of the most violence-hit areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar for a decisive battle.
According to documents available with senior officials, the force is setting up 30 new forward operation bases (FOBs) in the dense forests of Chhattisgarh (South Bastar), while the search for six such locations in Jharkhand and Bihar is ‘to deepen the Maoist strongholds’ It is being done under the strategy of giving tough competition.
The government has said that the number of Left Wing Extremism (LWE) districts in the country has come down from 126 to 70 in a few years and it is working to reduce the number further. A senior official posted in the LWE operations grid said, “The helipad is a pre-requisite to meet any emergent challenge while implementing the government’s strategy of deepening the area.
During an encounter or IED blast in these remote areas, air evacuation of injured soldiers is of paramount importance so that they can get prompt medical care and save their lives. Now, there is a problem here, he said. ‘There have been instances when soldiers involved in an operation have secured a landing site near them, but the arrival of helicopters is delayed or the pilots refuse to take off due to various technical reasons, in that case the ‘golden time’ (Golden Period) has to be lost.
“Helicopter operations for anti-Naxal operations are governed by standard operating procedures and once the pilots say that air clearance is possible,” said the commanding officer of a battalion working with the CRPF’s special jungle warfare unit ‘COBRA’ in Chhattisgarh. No, you are left with no option but to find other means to evacuate the wounded soldiers. He said that weather conditions and availability of natural light are the two most important reasons, due to which the arrival of helicopters is either delayed or flights have been cancelled, causing huge resentment among the personnel working on the ground.
The official said such issues are often faced by all the security forces working in this situation and hence the CRPF as the major combat wing is looking at ways to build more helipads, secure them and illuminate them. So that the number of helicopters landing in the interior areas of these states can increase. He said that the sector offices of CRPF in three states have been entrusted with this task.