Ensuring safety

Helicopter service must not disregard norms

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The death of seven people in a helicopter crash on the Char Dham shuttle offers yet another tragic reminder of the dangers embedded in rapidly developing tourism infrastructure. This shuttle is a particularly egregious example of official disregard for safety. The crash near Gaurikund was one in a series of five helicopter accidents on this route in the past six weeks, two of them proving fatal and three involving malfunctioning machines.

At the heart of this casual approach to safety is the state government's indiscriminate promotion of religious tourism, which has become a critical revenue source for the state and its people. The result is ecological damage in one of the world's most fragile ecosystems, and this is increasingly risking lives and livelihoods.