Trouble for staff, flyers as ACs shut at Jammu airport

TNN Bureau. Updated: 5/28/2020 11:31:15 AM Front Page

• A total of 217 passengers aboard seven flights including one charter plane of a business tycoon arrived at the Jammu Airport while eight flights with about 1072 passengers on board landed at Srinagar Airport

JAMMU: As temperatures soars raising concerns among corona warriors required to wear protective gears, the air conditioners at the Jammu airport were shut much to the inconvenience of hundreds of staff on duty and flyers.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu Sanjeev Verma, who is nodal officer for facilitating air travel, today ordered shutting down of air conditioners at Jammu airport without any scientific reason or administrative advisory.
Sources said that Verma asked for shutting down of all air conditioners as a measure to prevent any possible spread of the virus. This caused huge inconvenience to the staff on duty and flyers as the day temperature crossed 42 degrees Celsius in the town. Such measures are, however, not supported by any scientific study.
The Centre has issued, from time to time, guidelines to shed light on the ideal temperature to operate air conditioners but it has never been asked to shut down the ACs. These guidelines were compiled by the Indian Society of Heating Refrigerating and Air Conditioner Engineers (ISHRAE) and shared by the Central Public Works Department (CPWD).
As per the guidelines, the air conditioners at home should ideally operate between 24-30 degrees Celsius and the humidity should be between 40-70 per cent. The advisory also states that the rooms should be well ventilated by keeping the windows slightly open and exhaust by natural exfiltration. If an exhaust fan is located nearby, it can be switched on to provide better ventilation.
Meanwhile, about 15 domestic flights with 1289 passengers on board today arrived at Jammu and Srinagar Airports on day three of resumption of the air services in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
A total of 217 passengers aboard 7 flights including one charter air travel arrived at the Jammu Airport while 8 flights with about 1072 passengers on board landed at Srinagar Airport today.
After arrival, all the passengers were tested for the COVID-19 virus and transported to their destinations at both the airports amid strict observance of all necessary preventive protocols. The administration ensured that all passengers use masks and follow social distancing, hand and respiratory hygiene.
The Government has made elaborate arrangements for the arrival, screening, sampling and proper transportation of the passengers to the quarantine centers. The Airport authorities have put in place all requisite arrangements and facilities for smooth and successful operation of the flights so that all guidelines and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) prescribed by the Union Ministries of Civil Aviation and Health and Family Welfare are strictly adhered to.


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