Global flights might resume before August Civil aviation minister says it all depends on Covid situation
Metro Rail Limited has laid poor quality pavements, alleges civic body
Union minister for civil aviation Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday that if the novel coronavirus infection rates are within control then the government will consider restarting international flights by June end or July.
The minister also clarified that the Aarogya Setu app is not mandatory for air passengers and they can instead give a self-declaration form at airports.
“I am fully hopeful that before August or September, we will try to start a good percentage of international civil aviation operations, if not complete international operations. We must have a more ambitious goal (regarding international flights). Why not start them by mid-June or June-end or in July,” Mr Puri said during a Facebook live session.
The minister conceded that several states are reluctant to receive even passengers in view of the
Covid-19 pandemic.While some have questioned the necessity of restarting domestic flights so soon and others have suggested that the operations be delayed by two-three day, none of the states have submitted their request in writing, he said.
With the spike in Covid19 cases weighing heavily upon it, states like Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Goa have expressed concerns over resumption of domestic flights from May 25.
According to information, the Maharashtra government has refused to allow domestic flights as of now, saying lockdown rules are in place till May 31. It has also asked for some more time to prepare SOPs while accusing the Centre of “arbitrarily” deciding date for the resumption of flight operations.
Goa has insisted on allowing only corona negative persons in the state. State health minister Vishwajit Rane said he has requested the civil aviation ministry to permit coronavirus antibody testing of passengers upon arrival to help identify asymptomatic patients at the airport itself to avoid community transmission, he said.
At least 15 flights are scheduled to arrive at the Goa International Airport in Dabolim on Monday.
A tussle has broken out between the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited (HMRL) over laying of pavements on roads along Metro Rail routes. While GHMC argues that pavements have to be laid by the HMRL according to the agreement, the Metro Rail operator claims that laying of pavements has been handed over to the civic body under the Comprehensive Road Development Plan (CRMP) by the government.
The civic body is now claiming that the footpaths laid by the HMRL are not uniform and pedestrian friendly. They allege there is a difference in the size and quality of footpaths in the VIP stretches like Jubilee Hills Road No 36 and Miyapur and at other places.
“Why are footpaths at Metro stations in Jamabagh, Nampally, Osmania Medical College, Gandhi Bhavan and LB Nagar not being laid properly? Why the step-motherly treatment for commuters or pedestrians in the corridor from Green Lands to Ameerpet? Why did the HMRL not widen the road at Saradhi Studios during Metro construction,” a civic official questioned.
The civic authorities claim that HMRL constructed a swanky footpath at VIP metro stations only to set up commercial kiosks and not for the convenience of pedestrians.
“In the remaining stations on all Metro corridors, the HMRL has not been following the agreement of constructing a 300 metre footpath on both sides, and in the Metro Corridor II connecting JBS-MGBS. They officials are not even constructing a footpath claiming that it is not financially viable,” a GHMC official said.
The GHMC official said that HMRL had not constructed central medias according to the agreement, which says they should be 150 metres.
Attractive plants to enhance the ambience of the road where planted along VIP stretches but why not in the remaining parts of the city, asked a GHMC official.
Asked about these issues, HMRL managing director N.V.S. Reddy said that construction of footpaths is not an easy job. He said that HMRL has done it more efficiently than any other nodal agency where construction is viable.
Mr Reddy said that HMRL has constructed 200 metres of footpath at most of the Metro stations in the city and will complete the remaining in the near future.
"The pavements in
Jubilee Hills are an exception since we have end-toend construction with high quality which has to be done by the GHMC.
Since the pavement construction in LB NagarMiyapur corridor has been handed over to the Hyderabad Road Development Corporation (HRDCL), the remaining portion will be constructed by them,” he said.
“In corridor-II (JBSMGBS), during the lockdown, we have almost completed laying CC roads in Sultan Bazaar, which is a challenging task working in a narrow lane, and a BT road was laid on the remaining portion,” Mr Reddy said.