Srinagar: The Srinagar district administration on Wednesday banned the entry of passengers from Ladakh with immediate effect and suspended special aircraft services for them in the wake of the novel coronavirus threat.
As per the order issued by Additional District Magistrate Srinagar Hanief Balki, under National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Act-2005, no passenger coming from Leh and Kargil shall be allowed to enter Srinagar while other passengers won’t be allowed to walk out of the airport without proper scrutiny.
“By virtue of powers vested in me under Section-34 of NDMA Act-2005, I hereby order that no passenger coming from Leh and Kargil shall be allowed to enter Srinagar,” the order said.
“Accordingly, it is ordered that no passenger shall be allowed to deboard the plane/ exit Srinagar Airport without being certified by the Competent Medical Authority of mandatory quarantine period observed at the originating place of travel,” it said.
The district magistrate is the chairman of Disaster Management Authority of a district under NDMA rules. Since the government of India declared COVID-19 as a disaster, it vested special powers in all the district magistrates.
The ADM has asked the airport authorities of Srinagar, Leh and Kargil to implement the directions immediately.
“Directors of Srinagar, Leh and Kargil airports, Commanding Officer of Air Force and CISF should ensure that directions are adhered to in letter and spirit,” he said.
The official also announced cancellation of special aircraft services for Leh and Kargil, which ferry passengers to and fro from Srinagar.
“Furthermore, operations of AN 32 and C 17/IL-76 for ferrying passengers from Leh and Kargil to Srinagar is suspended till 31 March 31 or until further orders,” the ADM stated in his order.
On Wednesday, two more persons were tested positive for coronavirus in Ladakh region, taking the cases of the deadly virus in the Union Territory to eight. Both the COVID-19 positive patients are the relatives of people who were previously tested positive for the disease.
Rigzin Sampheal, Commissioner Secretary of Ladakh, told reporters that they have received 34 test reports, of which two were positive for COVID-19.
“These persons are the relatives of people who were previously reported positive and were kept under quarantine,” he said.
Earlier, the District Magistrate Srinagar Shahid Iqbal had banned the entry of foreign tourists in Kashmir.
The government has also deployed 20 Deputy Superintendents of Police (DySP) exclusively for assisting the administration in its efforts for controlling the coronavirus epidemic.
The order was issued by the Home department asking the officers to remain stationed at district control rooms set up in all districts by the Health and Medical Education department.
Meanwhile, eighty-one passengers of an Air India Leh-Srinagar flight were quarantined on their arrival here on Wednesday, officials said.
The flight was then diverted back to Leh where it dropped the remaining 25 passengers, they said.
“A Srinagar-bound Air India flight was returned this morning. Eighty-one passengers have been quarantined in Srinagar, while 25 were de-boarded in Leh,” Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Chaudhary said.
The officer said all passengers arriving from Leh at Srinagar airport will have to undergo mandatory quarantine.

Manzoor ul-Hassan