Srinagar: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has started construction of a three-kilometer long runway adjacent to the National Highway NH-44 in Bijbehara area of South Kashmir.

The work on the runway has been started two days ago and an official sources it would be three kilometer long and will act as an emergency runway facility for fighter jets in case of any emergency.

The passes for the construction of the runway to the trucks and workers were issued by the district administration.

The construction of the emergency landing facility comes at a time when there is military standoff along Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the Indian Army and Peoples Liberation Army of China.

However, this is not an unusual happening as many national highways and speedways have a provision of being used as emergency landing strips.  Agra expressway was also used as a landing strip for Sukhoi and AN32 globemaster.