Gandachhara Residents Seek Return of Helicopter Service
Gandachhara (Dhalai), Oct 14: Residents of the remote Gandachhara sub-division in Dhalai district have renewed their demand for the resumption of helicopter services, calling it a lifeline rather than a luxury. The people of this hilly region—one of Tripura’s most inaccessible areas—say they continue to suffer due to poor road connectivity, which often turns routine travel into a matter of life and death.
Dhalai, officially classified among Tripura’s most backward districts, has long struggled with inadequate infrastructure. Gandachhara, located deep within its terrain, remains especially cut off from the state capital. Even after more than seven decades of independence, residents are compelled to cross rugged hills and travel through broken, muddy roads to reach Agartala via Amarpur and Udaipur.
The 120-kilometre journey to Agartala typically takes between three and a half to four hours, depending on road conditions. However, the route’s poor state creates immense hardship, particularly for patients, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Locals recount numerous instances where critically ill patients died en route to GBP Hospital in Agartala due to the long, arduous journey.
Residents blame the lack of reliable transport for these tragic losses. “We are not asking for comfort—we are asking for survival,” said one local elder. “A helicopter service is not a privilege here; it’s a necessity.”
Under the previous Left Front government, helicopter services were operational in Gandachhara, Kanchanpur, and Chawmanu on humanitarian grounds. The initiative had offered new hope to residents, allowing them to reach Agartala within minutes by paying a nominal fare of about ₹3,500. Tickets were issued through the TRTC counter, and helicopters ferried passengers quickly and efficiently. The service proved especially crucial for emergency medical evacuations, saving countless lives in the process.
However, the service was discontinued after the current government came to power. Since then, residents say they have been forced back into their old struggles. From medical emergencies to official work, people now endure hours of exhausting travel on severely damaged roads.
Frustrated by the situation, around 80,000 residents—belonging to tribal, non-tribal, and minority communities—have submitted a collective appeal to the government, urging the immediate restoration of helicopter services. They emphasized that the issue transcends mere convenience, describing it as a “life-or-death necessity” for the sub-division’s people.
Locals have also warned that if their humanitarian demand continues to be ignored, they will launch a mass movement in the near future.
With the BJP-led “double-engine” government in power at both the Centre and the state, residents now await a compassionate and pragmatic response. For the people of Gandachhara, the restoration of helicopter services represents not just improved connectivity—but a renewed hope for survival.
