Karnataka govt mulls ban on cow slaughter, beef consumption

Bengaluru, Aug 2: All the seven Airports in Karnataka have seen poor traffic even after the restoration of domestic flight services post covid-19 lockdown. Interestingly, Mangaluru International Airport, the second biggest in the state, has slipped to third position in number of number of passengers and flights. 

Of all the seven airports in State-- Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Hubballi, Belagavi, Mysuru, Kalaburagi and Vijaynagara (Hosapete)-- it was the Sambra (Belagavi) airport which saw the highest number of passengers and flights after Bengaluru. 

According to Airports Authority of India report released on their website recently, the Sambra airport outperformed the Managluru international airport in June. 

As many 10,224 passengers travelled to or from Belagavi airport in June, whereas Mangaluru airport saw a footfall of only 8,608 passengers including 3,726 international and 4,882 domestic passengers. Belagavi airport handled 391 flights whereas Mangaluru airport handled 190 flights.

Even the Bengaluru international airport saw a decline in the number of passengers and flights in June. Only 3.69 lakh domestic and 10,654 international passengers arrived or departed from Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru in June as against 27.59 lakh total passengers in June 2019. 

Between April-June 2020 the Bengaluru airport saw only 4.54 lakh total passengers (domestic and international) as against 84.11 lakh total passenger during the same period last year. The number of flights to and from Bengaluru also saw a huge dip in June with only 731 international (2,582 in June 2019) and 4290 domestic (16,216 in June 2019) flights.

Though the Mysuru domestic airport handled a higher number of flights compared to last June, the number of passengers either arriving or departing saw a decline. Last year June 4,775 passengers travelled in 96 flights, whereas in June 2020 the airport handled 3,158 passengers and 330 flights.

Hubballi airport saw the least number of passengers or flights among the seven airports in Karnataka in June. It saw only 55 passengers either arriving or departing from the city's airport in 14 flights in the month of June. In the same month last year, Hubballi airport, which was third busiest before the pandemic, had facilitated 45,973 passengers and handled 604 flights.

Since April 2020 to June, the Hubballi airport has handled only 18 flights (as against 1,958 during the same period last year) and 122 passengers (1,50,416 between April-June 2019).

Bengaluru, Aug 3: A building of Bengaluru's civic body, Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), on Broadway Road in Shivajinagar, is being developed into a COVID dedicated hospital with 200 beds, Karnataka Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar said on Sunday.

The hospital will be functional in two weeks, said Sudhakar.

"BBMP building in Broadway Road is converted into Covid hospital. Setting up of infrastructure like beds, ventilators, oxygen etc is underway.

All necessary staff for this hospital including doctors, nurses and paramedical staff have been already deployed and the work is on fast track," Sudhakar tweeted.

He also thanked Infosys foundation and it's Chairperson Sudha Murthy for immediately responding to government's request and providing infrastructure for this hospital.

In a tweet, Sudhakar thanked the doctors for their service to combat COVID-19 in the state.
"These doctors have extended helping hand in these corona times without any expectations. I salute their spirit of service and professionalism," Minister said in a tweet.

According to the Union Health Ministry, there are 1,34,819 COVID-19 cases in the state.