A recently released report from the ministry stated that as many as 1.17 lakh passengers from various countries have arrived in Mumbai, by 1045 flights, till Wednesday, September 30, 2020. These passengers landed at the Mumbai Airport under Vande Bharat Mission. This was amidst the coronavirus outbreak when the government was fighting the virus infection and alongside carrying out the task of bringing the citizens of Maharashtra and other states, safely to their land.
Under the campaign, another group 209 passengers are expected to arrive in Mumbai, by October 31, 2020. Out of the total number of passengers, 38,602 arrived in Mumbai, 37,201 arrived and departed to the rest of Maharashtra and 41,630 passengers travelled to other states.
Data also reveals that the passengers who landed in Mumbai Airport started their journey from various countries including UK, Singapore, Philippines, USA, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Oman, South Africa, Indonesia, Netherlands, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Tanzania, Spain, Ireland, Qatar, Hong Kong, and many other locations. As per the protocol, institutional quarantine facilities were set up across various hotels in Greater Mumbai, and necessary arrangements were made to send passengers to their respective districts and states after confirmation from the respective Collectors and Municipal Commissioners.
Passengers from other states were asked to remain at the quarantine centre in Mumbai until the travel passes were received from the concerned states, after which their requests were processed and they were sent to their respective states.
Project Vandebharat Abhiyan was operated in coordination with the Collectorate, Suburbs, Greater Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Regional Transport Officer, BEST, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation. The Government of Maharashtra has been successfully carrying out the project with the support of the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation, Ministry of External Affairs and Union Ministry of Home Affairs.