Srinagar (NVI): After remaining suspended for over two months since March 20 in the wake of nationwide Covid-19 lockdown, six domestic flights landed at Srinagar International Airport today with 562 passengers on board, officials said.
The flights ferried stranded passengers, who were stuck in various parts of the country, as domestic flight operations resumed across the nation today. Officials said that the arrival of flights started with the landing of Air Asia flight at 7:25 am.
“All passengers who arrived at the airport were thoroughly screened for COVID-19 and their samples taken,” they said. “Government had made elaborate arrangements for the arrival, screening, sampling and dispatch of passengers. The airport has been equipped to receive the passengers strictly following the procedures and guidelines prescribed by the Union Ministries of Civil Aviation and Health and Family Welfare.”
Officials said that all passengers, on arrival, by air today and for the coming days, shall be kept in institutional or home quarantine for the prescribed period. Sampling will be done of all passengers and test samples will be sent to SKIMS, Srinagar.
“Those passengers who test negative shall be sent to home and those testing positive, if any, will be sent to hospital for further treatment,” the officials said.
The passengers were received at the airport by Principal Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, Dheeraj Gupta along with Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, PK Pole.
Among others present were Secretary, Cultural &Tourism, Zubair Ahmad, Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Tariq Hussain Ganie, Vice Chairman LAWDA, Tufail Matoo, Director Industries & Commerce, Mahmood Ahmad Shah, Director Health Services Kashmir, Dr Sameer Matoo, SSP Budgam, Amod Ashok Nagpurie, Director, Airport Authority Srinagar, Santosh Dhoke and other concerned officers/officials.
Speaking on the occasion, Dheeraj Gupta said that all facilities and other arrangements have been put in place at the airport by the government including SOPs for receiving the passengers.
“For the convenience of passengers, special help desks have been established in order to capture firsthand information from the passengers after their disembarking,” he said, adding that for sample collection from the passengers for Covid-19 test, 30 test kiosks have been set up at the airport. Besides, adequate transport facilities by SRTC have been made available at the airport for these passengers.
Deputy Commissioner, Budgam, Tariq Hussain Ganai said that the passengers arriving at the airport are being screened for Covid-19 tests. Their sampling is also being done as per the prescribed protocol, officials said. Regarding other passengers, the DC said there are exemptions for seriously ill patients, pregnant women and the passengers suffering from other chronic diseases having symptoms of any other health issue who will be allowed to go for home quarantine.
