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Indian Railways cancels more trains! See list of special trains cancelled by the national transporter

Cancellation of Special Trains by Indian Railways: With several passenger trains being cancelled over the past few weeks due to low occupancy, Indian Railways announced the cancellation of more train services. Recently, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone announced the cancellation of several special train services, starting from 12 May 2021. According to the zonal railway, 18 special trains have been cancelled till further advice due to poor patronization, while 13 special trains have been fully cancelled due to track maintenance in Howrah Railway Division. Following is the full list of special train services, cancelled due to poor patronization and track maintenance: Cancelled trains due to poor patronization: 1) Train Number 05467 Inter city special from Siliguri to Bamanhat cancelled with effect from May 13 2) Train Number 05468 Inter city special from Bamanhat to Siliguri Junction cancelled with effect from May 12 3) Train Number 05811 Express special from Dhubri to Guwahati cancelled with effect from May 13 4) Train Number 05812 Express special from Guwahati to Dhubri cancelled with effect from May 12 5) Train Number 05767 Inter city special from Siliguri Junction to Alipurduar Junction cancelled with effect from May 12 6) Train Number 05768 Inter city special from Alipurduar Junction to Siliguri Junction cancelled with effect from May 13 7) Train Number 05719 Inter city special from Katihar to Siliguri Junction cancelled with effect from May 12 8) Train Number 05720 Inter city special from Siliguri Junction to Katihar cancelled with effect from May 13 9) Train Number 05749 Passenger special from New Jalpaiguri to Haldibari cancelled with effect from May 12 10) Train Number 05750 Passenger special from Haldibari to New Jalpaiguri cancelled with effect from May 12 11) Train Number 05751 Passenger special from New Jalpaiguri to Haldibari cancelled with effect from May 12 12) Train Number 05752 Passenger special from Haldibari to New Jalpaiguri cancelled with effect from May 12 13) Train Number 05815 Inter city special from Guwahati to Dekargaon cancelled with effect from May 12 14) Train Number 05816 Inter city special from Dekargaon to Guwahati cancelled with effect from May 12 15) Train Number 07541 Inter city special from Siliguri to Dhubri cancelled with effect from May 12 16) Train Number 07542 Inter city special from Dhubri to Siliguri Junction cancelled with effect from May 12 17) Train Number 07525 DEMU special from Siliguri Junction to New Bongaigaon cancelled with effect from May 12 18) Train Number 07526 DEMU special from New Bongaigaon to Siliguri Junction cancelled with effect from May 13 Cancelled trains due to track maintenance: 1) Train Number 05960 Express Special from Dibrugarh Town to Howrah Junction journey commencing on May 14, May 15 2) Train Number 05959 Express Special from Howrah Junction to Dibrugarh Town journey commencing on May 16 3) Train Number 05961 Express Special from Howrah Junction to Dibrugarh Town journey commencing on May 17 4) Train Number 03033 Express Special from Howrah Junction to Katihar journey commencing from May 13 to May 17 5) Train Number 03034 Express Special from Katihar to Howrah Junction journey commencing from May 14 to May 18 6) Train Number 03141 Express Special from Sealdah to New Alipurduar journey commencing from May 13 to May 17 7) Train Number 03142 Express Special from New Alipurduar to Sealdah journey commencing from May 14 to May 18 8) Train Number 03163 Express Special from Sealdah to Saharsa Junction journey commencing from May 14 to May 17 9) Train Number 03164 Express Special from Saharsa Junction to Sealdah journey commencing from May 15 to May 18 10) Train Number 03145 Express Special from Kolkata to Radhikapur journey commencing from May 14 to May 17 11) Train Number 03146 Express Special from Radhikapur to Kolkata journey commencing from May 15 to May 18 12) Train Number 03063 Express Special from Howrah Junction to Balurghat journey commencing on May 13, May 14, May 17 13) Train Number 03064 Express Special from Balurghat to Howrah Junction journey commencing on May 13, May 14, May 17

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The Island of Capri Is Ready to Welcome Tourists Back After Vaccinating 80% of Residents

"Capri represents the restart of the whole of Italy, it is a turning point message that reaches the whole world. Capri and Procida are covid-free," Vincenzo De Luca, the president of the Campania region of Italy, tweeted. "Now it's up to Ischia and then to the entire coastal strip of Campania to restart safely." In typical years, Capri — known for celebrity sightings, gorgeous resorts, and breathtaking cliffs — has been overrun with tourists. But COVID-19 changed all that. In fact, the island's tourist sector saw a 70% drop in turnover last year, CNN reported. Now, the island is poised to welcome tourists once again to its beautiful outdoor spaces, Ludovica Di Meglio, the head of Capri's tourism department, told the network. "In addition to the better known places, and the famous 'piazzetta' where everyone meets, Capri offers fantastic nature trails suitable for the pandemic," he said. While the island may be ready to welcome travelers once again, American tourists are still not able to head to Italy, according to the U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Italy. In the meantime, those hoping for a taste of la dolce vita can tour the Sistine Chapel or explore the ruins of Pompeii from the comfort of home with virtual tours.

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Lockdown in Nagaland from May 14

In a bid to control the rising cases of Covid-19 in the state, the Neiphiu Rio-led government today called for a weeklong lockdown in Nagaland starting from 6pm on May 14. The decision to go for a statewide full lockdown was taken during a meeting of the High Powered Committee on Covid-19 at 9am today at the Chief Minister's Residential Complex in Kohima under the chairmanship of chief minister Neiphiu Rio. Essential services, including agricultural activities, have been exempted during the lockdown. The circular signed by the government spokespersons on Covid, Neiba Kronu and Mmhonlumo Kikon, further states that government departments will continue to function with a core team formed by the heads of department and while construction activities may be permitted, but the contractor and firms will be responsible for ensuring adherence to all SOPs for the workers. The circular goes on to state, “During the lockdown period, the Health & Family Welfare department may pursue aggressive testing, utilising the full testing capacity of the Covid-19 laboratories.” The new SOPs will soon be issued by the state. With the rise of Covid-19 positive cases in Kiphire, the District Task Force had also resolved to close all the shops in the district for 72 hours with effect from today. On May 10, 133 new Covid positive cases were reported from Nagaland taking the active cases in the state to 2884 and the death toll has touched 150.

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Maharashtra Tourism & Agri-Tourism India to host two-day Int’l Agri-Tourism Conference

A pioneering state in Agri-Tourism in India, Maharashtra Tourism will be celebrating the World Agri-Tourism Day on May 16 by hosting a two-day virtual international Agri-Tourism conference in association with Agri-Tourism India of Pandurang Taware, who is known as the father of Agri-Tourism in the country. The conference will be inaugurated by Aaditya Thackeray, Cabinet Minister for Tourism & Environment of Maharashtra and will see the presence of eminent Ministers like Dada Bhuse, Cabinet Minister for Agriculture, Maharashtra; Aditi Sunil Tatkare, Minister of State for Industries, Tourism, Mining, Maharashtra; Valsa Nair Singh, Principal Secretary-Tourism, Maharashtra, among others. “The objective of the conference is to create a global platform for Agri-Tourism. We have 31 speakers confirmed from 19 countries of the world. They will share the learnings from various countries of the world and how various governments are supporting the cause with supporting policy initiatives. Individual farm owners will share their experiences at the conference,” said Taware who has been in the forefront of organising the international conference for the last 14 years. Maharashtra is the first state in the country to frame a Agri-Tourism Policy in September 2020. There are around 1,000 private Agri-Tourism farms in the state currently out of which around 430 farms are already registered under the Tourism department. “These farms are getting a lot of benefits including subsidised electricity, gas, etc. This is encouraging other Agri-farms also to join the network,” said Taware. Highlighting the theme of the World Agri-Tourism Day this year which is creating sustainable entrepreneurship opportunities for Rural Women through Agri-Tourism, Taware said that women are a pivotal part of the Agri-Tourism economy and historically also 90% of the functions of any Farm is managed by women folks. “Hospitality also comes naturally to rural women. The idea is to combine both the core competencies and instill entrepreneurial spirit in them,” he said. Speaking on the importance of Agri-Tourism for Maharashtra, Dhananjay Sawalkar, Director Tourism, Maharashtra said, “Agri-Tourism is an emerging concept and has a multiplier effect on rural economies. The linkage between agriculture and tourism will not only generate new economic opportunities but also support the sustainable development of rural areas.” Maharashtra started the pilot project of Agri-Tourism in a village of Baramati district by ATDC under the supervision of Taware in 2005. In 2007, ATDC launched training and skills development programs with Maharashtra State Agri- Tourism Vistar Yojana through Agri-Tourism centers. Currently there are 328 Agri-Tourism centers across 29 Districts in Maharashtra including Pune, Aurangabad, villages near Nagpur and tribal belt of Thane district. Since its inception, farmers across the State have gained a 25% growth in their incomes.

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IGIA To Suspend T2 Operations From May 18: All Flights to and fro from T3

Delhi's IGI airport will suspend operations at Terminal 2 (T2) from 12.01am on next Tuesday (May 18) and T3 alone — like April-September 2020 — will be used by all international and domestic passengers. The decision comes due to the sharp fall in air travel during the unfolding catastrophe in India. A Dial official said the other reason for this move is to "consolidate all operations in one terminal to reduce manpower requirement during the pandemic." In last few days IGIA has seen its daily footfall crash to below 20% of pre-Covid level. India’s busiest airport is learnt to be witnessing just 30,000-40,000 daily passengers — combined figure for domestic and international arrivals and departures— these days, as opposed to 2 lakh per day till last March. Mumbai airport is also handling all passenger flights from one terminal for the same reason. IndiGo announced on its website, "Delhi terminal update: Effective May 18, 2021, all flights will arrive and depart from Terminal 3." The ferocity of the second wave — and the trauma it has unleashed in the country — has seen airline doing something unimaginable for commercial organisations: advising people to remain home and travel only if necessary. For instance, Air India has tweeted, "Stay indoors, stay safe. If, for some reason, air travel is a must, we have kept our planes safe and sanitised just for you. Please be safe, on ground or in flight." Tata Group’s Vistara also tweeted recently, "With the overwhelming number of active Covid cases, it is imperative we all remain cautious and follow all safety precautions diligently. We urge to travel only if necessary and if you do, please follow all safety protocols which help us in keeping the skies safe for you." Almost 20 countries have in last fortnight imposed travel restrictions from India, some even suspending flights. And domestic travel has witnessed a sharp drop due to testing requirements by various states. As a result, the current level of domestic-cum-international traffic is down to a level that can be handled by T3 alone — like last year. Delhi airport’s T2 was reopened for domestic flights last October when domestic air travel had started picking up after being allowed to resume in May-end. T1 is yet to reopen since last March. IGIA was seeing an average of about 1.15-1.2 lakh passengers (domestic and international, both arriving and departing) in past couple of months before the current surge. This March, Dial was hoping to reopen T1 for operations. But just then then Tsunami of the ongoing Covid hit India. Scheduled domestic flights restarted on May 25, 2020, with about 30,000 passengers travelling (across the country) on day one. This number kept growing as things improved. March 27, 2021, for instance, saw 2.8 lakh domestic passengers (across the country) on 2,336 flights. This pan-India number fell to 87,000 on May 9, according to aviation ministry’s tweets.

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RT-PCR COVID-19 Negative Test reports mandatory for Indian Railways passengers travelling to Goa

Indian Railway passengers travelling to Goa, take a note! RT-PCR COVID-19 Negative Test reports have been made mandatory to enter the state. The Railway Ministry notified for the information of the general public that as per Goa state DC order, travellers bound to the state of Goa i.e., Kulem, Sanverdam Church, Madgaon, Vasco Da Gama as well as other stations in Goa, should carry RT-PCR COVID-19 Negative Test reports with them, with test done within 72 hours of entry in the state or full (two vaccine doses) vaccination certificate. However, according to Northern Railways, the following categories of people have been exempted from the above requirement: 1. Residents of Goa on production of their proof of residence 2. Person entering the state of Goa for work purpose on production of their work ID / proof / letter from employer 3. Person entering the state of Goa for medical emergency, on production of proof or coming in ambulance Recently, passengers have been requested by the Railway Ministry to update themselves with the latest COVID-19 guidelines issued by different state governments before commencing their train journey. The railway travellers have been urged to update themselves with state-issued pandemic protocols before travelling as every state has their own specific sets of covid guidelines. According to the Railway Ministry, this step has been taken to prevent confusion and hardships for passengers. Last week, the state of West Bengal made it mandatory for passengers arriving in the state by train to have their covid negative RT-PCR reports. West Bengal government’s Chief Secretary had issued an order, stating that incoming passengers by inter-state buses and long distance trains must carry their negative test reports of COVID-19. The WB state, which was recently in election mode with the Assembly poll results being announced earlier this month on 2 May 2021, has reported a huge surge in novel coronavirus cases in the last few days.

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