Dehradun, Sept. 10 -- The Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority (UCADA) is likely to collaborate with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to enhance the safety of helicopter operations in the Kedarnath valley, which has emerged as one of the challenging aerial corridors in the country amid increasing traffic. "ISRO has developed a Digital Elevation Model (DEM). A team from ISRO will soon visit the Kedarnath region for test flights," said UCADA CEO Ashish Chauhan. He said that currently, under Visual Flying Rules (VFR), pilots rely heavily on real-time visibility and tools like Google Maps. "However, ISRO's DEM will provide precise topographical data such as coordinates, contours, and elevation....which will significantly aid in decision-making, even in low-visibility conditions. It will help us identify the exact location and height of hills, thereby improving clarity and safety during flights," he added. The ISRO team's visit, initially scheduled for the first week of August, was postponed due to the Dharali disaster in Uttarkashi. "We are now waiting for the weather conditions to improve," Chauhan said. He also said that approvals from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation will be required to implement the programme, which will be installed in all helicopters operating in the region. Helicopter operations in Kedarnath are among the most challenging in the country due to the region's treacherous terrain and rapidly changing weather conditions. The Kedarnath valley is notorious for terrain-induced blind spots, making navigation extremely difficult, especially without the support of essential infrastructure like air traffic control (ATC) systems or dedicated weather stations. Despite these limitations, high-frequency flight operations continue, catering to the large influx of pilgrims visiting the Char Dham shrines, particularly Kedarnath. The absence of real-time weather monitoring and flight tracking significantly increases the risks involved, as recent incidents have highlighted. On June 15, a tragic crash near Gaurikund claimed seven lives when a chopper en route from Kedarnath to Guptkashi went down. Just days earlier, on June 7, another helicopter carrying five pilgrims crash-landed on the Guptkashi-Gaurikund highway. On May 17, a heli-ambulance from AIIMS Rishikesh crash-landed near the Kedarnath helipad while on a rescue mission, damaging the tail rotor. These accidents underscore the growing safety concerns surrounding helicopter services on the Char Dham route and call for urgent improvements in aviation infrastructure and safety protocols in the region. On other safety measures to improve the safety of flight operations in the Kedarnath region, Chauhan said, "We are setting up two control rooms at Sahastradhara (Dehradun) and Sersi (Rudraprayag) to enhance flight safety. These will include representatives from AAI, DGCA, , and IMD, along with the chief base manager of UCADA. With better coordination and access to real-time data, decisions on granting flight permissions will be more informed and safety-driven." He added, "We are also planning to install ceilometers and weather stations in the Kedarnath region to strengthen weather monitoring." "Before the next yatra season, several additional safety measures will be in place," Chauhan said. Meanwhile, UCADA is awaiting DGCA approval to resume shuttle services in the Kedarnath region, which were suspended following a series of chopper accidents. "We are hopeful of getting the green light soon, as discussions have been positive. We're preparing to resume services by September 15," Chauhan said. He added that safety measures would include a reduction in passenger load and flight frequency. "We have capped the number of passengers per day from 1,467 to 1,012, and the number of daily sorties has been reduced from 260 to 184," he said....