India to begin mass repatriation of citizens

India is staging its biggest evacuation operation to allow 200,000 of its citizens to return home.

They are stranded overseas, including in Singapore, owing to travel restrictions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Around 14,800 citizens will be involved in the first phase of the operation, which will begin tomorrow and continue till next Wednesday.

They will be flown back aboard 64 flights from 12 countries, including Singapore.

Evacuations aboard flights operated by national carrier Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, will also be taking off from the United States, the United Kingdom, the Philippines, Bangladesh and Malaysia, among others.

"The present exercise is a limited exercise to address problems of those of our citizens who are in foreign countries, in distress and find themselves stranded either because their visas have run out or they are being deported. They went to these countries for work and need to get back," Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said at a press conference yesterday.

He noted that the government had not decided on whether to allow the resumption of international or domestic flights, which were also grounded ahead of the nationwide lockdown in March.

He said: "The decisions on resumption of flights remain to be taken. In other words, normal domestic and international flights will continue to remain suspended till May 17."

Three naval ships have also been dispatched to the United Arab Emirates and the Maldives to bring back Indian citizens.

New Delhi has been slowly easing a stringent lockdown imposed at midnight on March 24.

India has more than 46,000 Covid-19 cases although government officials say the curve has flattened for infections. But it has yet to show a downward trend.

The government has emphasised it is taking precautions and following procedures in the evacuation.

The cost of a ticket on the evacuation flights for 1,250 Indian citizens stuck in Singapore is between $281 and $380. There will be five flights.

May 7: To Mumbai

May 8: To Ahmedabad

May 10: To Trichy

May 11: To Delhi

May 12: To Bengaluru

Only those who are asymptomatic after a thermal scan will be allowed to board their flights. On arrival in India, they will have to fill in a self-declaration form and will be quarantined in their home district or a nearby district at their own cost for 14 days, after which they will be tested.

If they test negative, they will be allowed to go home where they will self-monitor for another 14 days.

Among those anxious to return home is Mr Shiva Shanker, who was working in the information technology sector in Singapore.

"I have been in Singapore since August 2019 on an employment pass and I lost my job. I am stuck in Singapore and am waiting for flights to reach India as soon as possible," said Mr Shanker, who has registered with the Indian High Commission in Singapore.

He had no problem about paying for his flight. "Yeah I will pay the charges as I don't want to put a burden on the Indian government... A lot of people are waiting to go back to Hyderabad," he said.

One key concern has been over whether Indian states have got adequate quarantine facilities for those coming back.

There is also worry that the coronavirus, which causes Covid-19, could potentially spread on board aircraft as the flights will be running at full capacity, making social distancing difficult.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan yesterday told Indian media that he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need to test those seeking to return before evacuating them.

"The people are being brought back without testing whether they have the coronavirus or not. This is very dangerous. There are 200 people on a flight.

"If one or two have the virus - this can be very dangerous for the country," he was quoted as saying.