Darbhanga gets air connectivity after 57 years
After a long wait of 57 years, the people of Bihar’s Mithilanchal region got linked to India’s air map with the inaugural flight landing at Darbhanga airport on Sunday. The SpiceJet flight with 182 passengers arrived from Bengaluru. Flights also started from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru from Monday. Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri had recently promised to start air services from Darbhanga to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru before Chhath. Darbhanga Airport’s terminal building, spread over an area of 1,400 sq ft, has six check-in counters with each capable of handling 100 passengers in peak hours.
Bihar gets award for helping migrants
Recognising the collective efforts of Bihar transport department taken to send the migrant-labourers and other people, the Union Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs feted the department with the prestigious ‘Innovation in Urban Transport during Covid-19 Award’ on Monday. Transport secretary Sanjay K Aggarwal said that award was given at the 13th Urban Mobility India Conference. A total of 25.5 lakh people, labourers and students, who had returned from other states to Bihar, were safely sent to their destinations. As many as 7,165 buses were arranged by the transport department for this purpose keeping in mind the flood of arrivals. Migrant-labourers and other people had returned by 1,556 Special Shramik trains from across the country.
Bird centre started in Bhagalpur
Dedicated to promote observation, monitoring and research of migratory birds, the country’s fourth and Bihar’s first Birds Ringing Centre started functional in Bhagalpur recently. To set up this centre, an agreement was signed by the state government with the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) recently. Rings will be put on the feet of birds to find out their migratory movements. A sum of `5 crore has been spent on this centre. Experts of BNHS, one of the largest NGOs in India engaged in conservation and biodiversity research, will take care of this centre for five years.
Experts call for better pandemic management
Experts at the initiative of Indian Institute of Public Administration’s Bihar chapter dwelt upon the ways for better management of pandemic like the Covid recently in Patna. A galaxy of experts said that managing pandemic can only done first with the involvement of people and then with the generation of additional resources. Retired IAS officer Vijay Prakash stressed on the need of adopting latest technology for better management of pandemic like COVID and others instead of relying on traditional wisdom only. IIPA secretary Dr RK Verma said that SP Shahi, the principal of A N College, presided over the session.
Rajesh K Thakur
Our correspondent in Bihar
rkthajipur@gmail.com