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Paytm introduces international travel certificate download to vaccine finder platform

Paytm announced on Tuesday it has added a new feature to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) vaccine finder platform which it launched in May this year. The new service, it said, will allow users to download their international travel certificates from the vaccine finder app. “We always strive to bring convenience to our users, and the latest feature to download international travel certificates is just another step in the direction. Additionally, users can also add their certificate to their DigiLocker on Paytm,” a Livemint report quoted a spokesperson of the One 97 Communications-owned company as saying. The spokesperson further noted that this new facility will also help users in updating their passport details to get certificates which comply with the World Health Organization's (WHO) Documentation of Covid-19 certificates (DDCC): Vaccination Status (VS) mechanism. Travellers, however, should check for country-specific Covid-19 guidelines before finalising their travel plans, the spokesperson also said. International travel certificates have become a necessity due to the coronavirus pandemic, with world governments mandating these documents to allow people entry to respective countries. In recent days, governments have once again introduced travel curbs due to a fresh outbreak of the virus, as well as due to the emergence of the Omicron variant, cases of which were first reported from southern Africa last month. The WHO has classified it as Variant of Concern (VoC). At least 96 nations recognise vaccine certificates from India. However, the resumption of regular international passenger flights from the country has been delayed further due to the Omicron threat.

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Kashi Vishwanath Corridor: PM Modi inaugurates the first phase of the refurbished INR 339 crore temple project in Varanasi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Varanasi has inaugurated the first phase of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple Corridor on Monday afternoon during a mega event organised to mark the refurbishment, renovation, and reconstruction of the sacred spiritual site at the total cost of around INR 800 crore. The first phase of the Corridor has been constructed at the cost of INR 339 crore, where 23 new buildings will provide diverse facilities to pilgrims, devotees, and tourists including Tourist Facilitation Centre, Vedic Kendra, Mumukshu Bhavan, Bhogshala, City Museum, Viewing Gallery, Food Court, among others. During the process, more than 40 ancient temples have been rediscovered, restored, and beautified in and around the temple. The complete project is yet to be completed with 50 per cent of the construction completed with the inauguration of the first phase. In the new corridor, easily accessible pathway is created to connect the Kashi Vishwanath Temple to the banks of the river Ganga. The foundation stone for the project was laid down by the PM in March 2019 after which he took a keen interest at all stages of construction,as it has been touted as his dream project in his Parliament constituency.The project, when fully completed will be spread over an area of about 5 lakh square feet, whereas earlier premises was limited to around 3000 square feet. After the inauguration, PM Modi, in his addressal, said people visiting Kashi will not only have a spiritual experience but will make them experience the glorious history of the country. “The refurbished Kashi Vishwanath Dham is not only a grand corridor, but it is a symbol of our spiritual power, India’s ancient galore, traditions and rituals. It is also a symbol of the country’s energy and growth story. Now, almost 50 to 70 thousand pilgrims, devotees, and tourists can visit the new temple corridor. I want to thank each, and everyone involved in the construction of this grand project. This inauguration will give India a new decisive direction and take the nation to a glorious future,” he said. On the occasion, he asked all the countrymen to pledge for cleanliness, innovation, and self-sufficiency (Aatma Nirbhar) of the new corridor. During the two-day visit, Prime Minister will also participate in a conclave of Chief Ministers of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with Deputy CMs from Bihar and Nagaland.

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NGT allows Delhi-Dehradun Expressway, forms 12 member panel to ensure no damage is caused to environment

The National Green Tribunal Monday allowed the Delhi-Dehradun Economic Corridor Expressway and formed a 12 member committee to ensure no damage is caused to the environment by unscientific muck dumping or obstruction of animal corridor on the Ganeshpur-Dehradun Road (NH-72A) stretch. A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said that it finds it difficult to hold that there was no application of mind in appraisal by the Union Environment Ministry for granting Forest Clearance to the project. "Once the project is held to be duly appraised, stage II/tree felling clearance are consequential. We may, however, observe that for the sake of transparency, stage II clearance/tree cutting permission must be prompt after stage I and it must be uploaded on the website forthwith," he said. "Even while upholding FC clearance, we find it necessary that mitigation measures are effectively implemented and monitored on the ground by the NHAI and the same are overseen by an independent mechanism," said the bench also comprising Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Dr Nagin Nanda. The green panel appointed an independent twelve-member expert committee to be headed by Chief Secretary, Uttarakhand with nominees of Wildlife Institute of India, Central Pollution Control Board, Uttarakhand State PCB and others. "The Committee may meet within two weeks to take stock of the situation and plan further course of action. The Committee may thereafter meet at least once in a month or at such earlier intervals as found necessary. Except for physical inspection, the Committee is free to hold virtual/hybrid meetings. "Any stakeholder will be free to represent to the Committee to consider remedial measures and if any grievance survives, to take remedies in accordance with law. We further direct that additional compensatory afforestation may be undertaken by NHAI through concerned Forest Departments on 10 ha of land each in Uttarakhand and UP," the bench said. It directed the National Highway Authority of India to deposit INR 1 crore in a separate account for research of Sal regeneration, in collaboration with Forest Departments of Uttarakhand and UP and any other institution, as may be found necessary. "Adequate provision may be made for mitigation measures for protection of wildlife in case funds allocated for the purpose are found inadequate by the Committee," it said. "Steps to be monitored will also include cordoning of elevated roads and other ecological sensitive stretches with proper barriers to absorb light and noise,fitting of cameras at strategic locations to monitor protection of wildlife movement and their habitats, mechanism for rescuing animals in case of any accidents, awareness for care and protection of wildlife," it added. The tribunal said Delhi Dehradun Highway including NH-72A is an important highway connecting Delhi, Haryana and Western UP to Dehradun and higher reaches of Himalayas through Dehradun. "Hence, the capacity augmentation of this highway is not only important for connecting the State Capital of Uttarakhand with National Capital, but is also vital for strategic defence purposes for timely and seamless movement of Army/ warheads to higher reaches of Himalayas. "The present stretch carries traffic more than 20,000 equivalent passenger car units (PCUs) per day which is much beyond the 2-lane capacity of 10,500 PCU, necessitating urgent upgradation of highway capacity," it said. The bench said the travel time between the two cities on the existing Highway (NH-72A) currently is 6-7 hours in the Non-Peak Hours and more than 8 hours during the Peak Hours. "The average travelling time between Ganeshpur to Dehradun (20.7KM Stretch) is 45 - 60 mins during Tourist/Yatra season, which extends to 2 hours leading to frequent traffic jams, resulting in significant increase in Air & Sound pollution in the area and also safety hazards to road users. "Longer Travel time of vehicles in forest zone means longer time of disturbance to wildlife also. Another major reason necessitating the development of the project site is the poor geometrics of the existing road which leads to occurrence of road accidents in this stretch," the bench said.

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Marmugao Port to soon start river cruise services

River cruise services at the Marmugao Port in Goa will soon begin on all the proposed routes with its FRP double-deck boats to give the tourists a complete experience of Goan culture and history. Union Minister for Ports Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, who inaugurated the river cruise services at the Marmugao Port in Goa, said that this will be a common user's facility and any entrepreneur would be able to venture into and start a new and similar type of service from the berthing facility, available in the port. The facility is expected to help explore new ventures in river and island cruising in Goa, an opportunity that for so far lies untapped and will also be a unique opportunity to experience such an unexplored venture in Goa. Sonowal also visited the port's operational areas including the cruise terminal berth where an international and domestic cruise terminal is proposed to be set up and PPP Terminals operated by the South West Port and Adani Mormugao Port Trust to inspect the operations. He also held a meeting with the stakeholders and local functionaries which provided an opportunity for them to directly engage with the Minister and share their perspectives on India’s growing maritime sector, effectively improving the coastal traffic and formulating maritime policies that can contribute to its overall growth. The minister also discussed, with unions and associations operating in the port, their issues, and suggestions for the growth of MPT. During his one-day schedule in Goa, the Minister also deliberated with various stakeholders to augment MPT's potential to cater to the needs of trade and industry and to contribute to the economic development of the nation. The Minister went on to say that if all means of connectivity - be it waterways, airways or railways - are brought together and they play their role unitedly for trade, or even providing the facilities to people within proper time, then the state's economy will be strengthened.

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Naxal-hit Chhattisgarh forest turning into tourism hub

Talking on dirt tracks inside a remote dense forest of Keshkal in Chhattisgarh, one is surprised on suddenly hearing the sound of gushing waterfalls, most of which were unexplored till some time back. Tribals residing in remote villages of this pristine forest, flanked by hills and covered with Sal trees, which had been infamous for Naxal activities, never imagined that these natural water bodies would make the place a sought-after tourist destination and serve as a means of livelihood for them. Located around 170 km from the state capital Raipur, Keshkal falls in Kondagaon, one of the seven districts of the Bastar region- which is severely affected by the Left Wing Extremism (LWE). “Bastar is full of natural beauty. People normally visit Chitrakote, the majestic waterfall located in neighboring Bastar district, popularly called the Niagra of India, but other areas like Keshkal are yet to be explored from the tourism point of view,” local villager Deepak Netam told PTI. The initiative taken by the local administration last year to promote tourism involving local tribal communities has now started yielding results, said the 21-year-old tribal, who is a member of one such panel. Netam hails from Honhed village, located about 15 km from Keshkal, where the sound of ‘Katulkasa’ waterfall can be heard from a considerable distance. A number of tribals clad in light green T-shirts, the uniform provided by the administration to the locally raised tourism committee assigned to manage the spot, can be seen in the area. “One member each from all 50 families, mostly belonging to the Gond tribe of Honhed, is part of the Katulkasa waterfall tourism committee and six people are deputed at a time on a rotational basis,” said Netam, who passed Class 12 from a state-run Eklavya residential school in Bhairamgarh (Bijapur district). The tribal, who is also pursuing the Bachelor of Science (BSc) course from a college in Keshkal, said his duty at the waterfall does not affect his studies. Honhed’s deputy sarpanch Atmaram Sori said the committee was constituted in September last year and in the last three months (September, October, November) this year, which was the peak tourist season after the monsoon, it collected over Rs 33,000 as entry fees from visitors. The committee charges Rs 10 per head from adult tourists and Rs 5 for children, he said, adding that the panel has spent the money on works like road repairs and setting up parking shades. Till a couple of years back, people knew about Honhed and the big and small waterfalls located in the area but were reluctant to visit the region fearing Naxals. Not far from Honhed, two Naxals were killed in a gun battle with security forces in a forest in June last year. In March this year, Naxals burnt at least 12 vehicles, mostly trucks, engaged in road construction works in Kuyemari village, where ‘Kodakal’, one of the most picturesque waterfalls of the area, is located. But, it did not deter tourists from coming to the area, and around 5,000 people visited the waterfall in the last three months, Kuyemari tourism committee head Mahesh Kumar Hidko said. The district administration along with the forest department decided to put these waterfalls and places of archeological importance on tourism maps, involving local tribals for the management of these spots by forming ‘paryatan samitis’ (tourism committees) at the local level. “Earlier, the mere mention of the Keshkal forest would bring up images of Maoist violence, but the impression is gradually changing now,” Kondagaon Collector Pushpendra Kumar Meena told PTI. Realising that there can be a vast potential for tourism and livelihood earning, the forest department along with the district administration and local people decided to survey each village for its uniqueness and possibilities, he said. Around 20 small and big waterfalls, numerous caves and rock paintings were found and properly mapped in the past two years, the official said. Among the major waterfalls in the area are Kodakal (Kuyemari ), Katulkasa (Honhed), Haathikudum (Nalajhar) and Lingodhara (Limdhara), and each of them has a unique shape, height and size, he said. Some of the waterfalls like Kuyemari were attracting visitors for the last three-four years after some YouTubers posted its videos, but the footfall was quite less, the collector said. As not many people from outside were willing to work in the interior areas, village-wise paryatan samitis were formed in consultation with people of the gram panchayat. Local youth in these committees are entirely responsible for managing and maintaining the tourist spot in their village, he said. A nominal entry fee is collected from people visiting the tourist spot and the money goes directly to the samiti and its members. They, in turn, provide lifeguard and security services at the site, he said. Women from local Self Help Groups take care of the food services at some tourist spots and earn for themselves, the official said. To facilitate the movement of four-wheelers, the dirt tracks have been repaired and a road is being constructed from National Highway no. 30 to Kuyemari, he added. Lal Bahadur, a Keshkal-based tour operator, said the area was considered dangerous a few years ago, but things have now started changing. Kuyemari and a few other waterfalls, relatively unknown to the rest of the world, started gaining popularity in 2017 because of the pictures and videos of these water bodies shared on social media by local visitors, he said, adding that tourist footfalls increased since last year. Kondagaon is known as the ‘Shilp Nagri’ for its handicraft artists, and soon it will be known as the ‘land of waterfalls’, he claimed.

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India signs air bubble agreement with Australia

NEW DELHI : The Indian government has finalized an air bubble agreement with Australia, which will allow all eligible passengers to travel between the two countries. A bilateral air bubble is a mechanism to resume flights between two nations with preconditions during the pandemic. As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, dedicated cargo flights, flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries continue to operate. India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Australian airline Qantas has recently started flights between Sydney and New Delhi. The airline is also set to start flights between New Delhi and Melbourne before Christmas. Air India also operated direct commercial flights connecting New Delhi with Melbourne and Sydney before scheduled international flights were suspended by the Indian government. Air India flights between India and Australia will resume in coming days, said a senior official with the airline. As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, dedicated cargo flights, flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries continue to operate. India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Australian airline Qantas has recently started flights between Sydney and New Delhi. The airline is also set to start flights between New Delhi and Melbourne before Christmas. Air India also operated direct commercial flights connecting New Delhi with Melbourne and Sydney before scheduled international flights were suspended by the Indian government. Air India flights between India and Australia will resume in coming days, said a senior official with the airline. As things stand, scheduled international flight operations remain suspended at least till 31 January 2022, according to a recent notification by civil aviation regulator the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). However, dedicated cargo flights, flights under the bilateral air bubble pacts with select countries continue to operate. India currently has bilateral air bubble agreements with 33 countries, which include Afghanistan, Australia, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Canada, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, Kenya, Kuwait, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Russia, Rwanda, Singapore, Seychelles, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, the UAE, the UK, and the USA, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Australian airline Qantas has recently started flights between Sydney and New Delhi. The airline is also set to start flights between New Delhi and Melbourne before Christmas. Air India also operated direct commercial flights connecting New Delhi with Melbourne and Sydney before scheduled international flights were suspended by the Indian government. Air India flights between India and Australia will resume in coming days, said a senior official with the airline. "Australia is an important market for the airline and we expect a good demand," the official added, requesting anonymity. India suspended international flight operations, effective 23 March 2020. This was periodically extended every month till 30 November, before the government on 26 November announced plans to resume scheduled international flight services. However, on 1 December, the Indian government announced that it had rolled back plans to resume scheduled international flight operations from 15 December, five days after making the announcement, following the emergence of the Omicron coronavirus mutant. Major economies across the world have rushed to take precautionary measures after scientists said they had found a highly virulent and possibly vaccine-resistant variant of the covid-19 virus in South Africa. The UK has said the 'Omicron' variant was the most significant one found yet, and temporarily banned flights from six southern African countries - South Africa, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini, Zimbabwe, and Namibia.

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