PATNA, March 29 -- Governor Lieutenant General (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain on Saturday underlined the need to include the arrangement for landing of aircraft and helipads in the plan for road construction in Bihar. "The Prime Minister has also made such a suggestion. Helipads are greatly needed during disaster management," he said. The Governor added that roads play an important role in national security. Hasnain, who was also a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for six years, said that the sensitivity of Bihar in case of earthquake should be taken into account at the time of bridge construction. The Governor's observation came during interaction with road construction department principal secretary Pankaj Kumar Pal and other officials to obtain information about various projects. He gave important guidelines during interaction. Apart from being a bordering state, Bihar is categorized into seismic zones III, IV, and V, indicating varying earthquake risks, with the northern region being particularly vulnerable due to proximity to the Himalayan boundary. According to Bihar Disaster Management Authority, of the 38 districts of Bihar, eight districts fall in seismic zone V of which 2 districts (Madhubani and Supaul) fall entirely in seismic zone V. Besides, 24 districts fall in seismic zone IV and six in seismic zone III. The state has in the past experienced major earthquakes; the worst was the 1934 earthquake in which more than 10,000 people are estimated to have lost their lives, followed by 1988 earthquake and recent earthquake was the Sikkim earthquake in September 2011. Praising the development works done in Bihar in the last 20 years, especially for the improvement of the legal system and the development of infrastructure, Hasnain said that the ease of reaching Patna in five hours from any corner of Bihar is highly commendable. The also stressed the need for friendly toll post and said that the necessary facilities should be available there, as roads should also have a complete ecosystem. The Principal Secretary of the road construction department said that these aspects were being taken into account in the new projects. The Governor was briefed about the vision of the department, new initiatives as well as ongoing and forthcoming projects....