Airlines hike airfare from Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata to Patna ahead of the festive season

It is the festive season and airlines have hiked the airfares from Delhi, Mumbai, and Kolkata to Patna. The rise is, in some cases is in excess of more than three-fold over the off-peak season rates. The price of air tickets for flights from Delhi to Patna and from Mumbai to Patna were more than the rate from Delhi to Sharjah or from Delhi to Singapore or Delhi to Bangkok. These are for destinations in other countries. Obviously, airline companies were taking advantage of the flexible fare during the peak season. In the opinion of experts, the spike might continue. This is not only for Delhi but also for other cities like Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, and Surat. It is obvious that people can afford to pay these exorbitant rates and no one is gumbling. Airfare from Delhi, Mumbai to Patna rises upto three fold amid Diwali, Chhath.

One of the biggest reasons for the spikes in airfare could possibly be the non-availability of train tickets. The waiting lists for trains are very high and even Tatkal tickets are not available. Hence, the railways plan to start additional mail and express trains bound for destinations in Bihar. These could include Patna, Muzaffarpur, Darbhanga, Jay Nagar, Kishanganj, Katihar, and Barauni (Begusarai). Moreover, Northern Railway has decided to run 32 additional mail and express trains bound to provide some relief to the passengers. According to the officials, there will be 211 trains until Chatth Puja. These will originate from Jammu, Amritsar, Ferozepur, Delhi, Bhiwani, and Pathankot. The authorities want the people to come home to enjoy the festive season with their near and dear ones.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

The Princess Royal made Daniel Craig a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George at Windsor Castle

Hurricane Michael of 2018 destroyed Mexico Beach and the earlier residents are unable to return because of high costs

A cyclonic circulation developing over the Andaman Sea threatens Kolkata with rains during Diwali

African elephants adapt themselves to an arid landscape of rocky mountains in northwest Namibia

Taiwan opens its doors to tourists after easing COVID-19 border curbs

Alaska cancels its snow crab harvest this year because of their disappearance from the Bering Sea in recent years

This year’s London Film Festival closed with ‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’

SpaceX Crew-4 astronauts of NASA and ESA returned to Earth in a parachute-assisted splashdown

The mighty Mississippi River south of St. Louis is drying up because of drought

Singapore redefines a city with an abundance of green spaces

It is a challenging task to find room for green spaces. This is especially true for the world's most densely populated ones. Singapore is one such city and in downtown Singapore, when anyone wants a new park to stroll, he might have to turn toward the sky. The CapitaSpring tower is an example of what humans can create to ensure a mix of modern living amidst an abundance of greenery. Its soaring glass and aluminum facade apparently bursts open to reveal plants and trees growing hundreds of feet above ground. From the street level, anyone can queue up to enter an elevator that leads to this so-called "Green Oasis." The spiral garden path winds past exercise equipment, benches and tables on its journey through four stories of tropical flora. The 919 feet high, CapitaSpring is now one of Singapore’s tallest skyscrapers. 'Biophilic' skyscraper bursting with 80,000 plants opens in Singapore. The 51-story building houses over 80,000 trees and plants across 90,000 square feet of landscaped area, which also includes a shady covered plaza at its base.

On the top floor of the building, visitors can stroll through a massive 4,500-square-foot rooftop farm. It supplies fruits, vegetables, herbs and edible flowers to three on-site restaurants. Incidentally, an urban farmer who tends to the garden estimated that it generates nearly 220 pounds of produce on a monthly basis. Most of the plant species found here are indigenous to Singapore and thus adapted to the year-round heat and humidity. This is a commendable achievement. Moreover, the placement of greenery follows a certain pattern. It "mimics the plant hierarchy of tropical rainforests." Those that require the least direct light lying beneath a "canopy" of taller trees. The tower can be considered a vision of a future where city and countryside can coexist with culture and nature. The government of Singapore has long promoted itself as a "garden city." This is a term applied to the country by its founding father and former prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew. That was in the 1960s. Subsequently, planners have embarked on citywide tree-planting programs and landscaping projects in its vast public housing complexes.

Some popular stories of this blogger –

Australia in the fury of floods with homes in Melbourne flooded, forecast says rivers will remain dangerously high for days

Kim Jong-un supervised long-range cruise missile tests to demonstrate Pyongyang's readiness for "actual war"

The US has agreed to allow 24.000 migrants from Venezuela to stay legally for up to two years

Odisha prepares for possible cyclonic strikes in October-November

Kim Jong-un attends opening ceremony of new massive greenhouse farm, Ryonpho Greenhouse

Egypt will host COP27, the annual United Nations climate talks

Hundreds of pilot whales stranded on remote islands off the east coast of New Zealand

Fort William restarts heritage walk for civilians

At least 25 people dead in central Venezuela landslide after days of torrential rain and floods

Bali converts Boeing aircraft to tourist destination and Singapore Airlines converted Airbus into restaurant

Aircraft like Boeing and Airbus are designed to carry passengers who love to use the aerial route to travel from one place to another. These patrons value their time and want to reach their destination at the earliest. To them, time is money and they bring in revenue for the airlines. However, a time comes when these aircraft are used for purposes other than flying. One such example has become news. It seems inhabitants in Bali are witness to such a situation. Bali inhabitants baffled by Boeing 737 resting in field. Its location is near the popular Pandawa beach in a limestone quarry close to a highway. Its front portion has runway steps leaning against it. Incidentally, it has become a popular tourist destination. Its origin remains a mystery.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Singapore Airlines had the bright idea of converting two of its Airbus into restaurants. It was to allow people to enjoy the thrill of dining in a different surrounding. Travel-starved diners eat in parked jets turned into restaurants. it was a huge success and travel-starved diners enjoyed the unique experience. At that time, the aviation industry was in a crisis and had to dream up strategies to remain visible. The airline was the flag carrier of Singapore and it offered passengers the chance to dine on board two A380 superjumbos -- the world's biggest passenger jet.

Some popular stories in this and related sites –

Pomp and glamour in Durga Puja in Bengal

Preparations for Durga Puja 2022

Nancy Pelosi visits South Korea after Taiwan during her Asian tour

Meghan Markle celebrates her 41st birthday

Chinese missile tactics force Taiwan to reroute ships and cancel international flights

Politicians are like chameleons

Princess Charlotte steals the show at the 2022 Commonwealth Games

Tension increases between the U.S. and China on Taiwan - Chinese warplanes visible

Eggs are an integral part of street foods

Harrowing times in Pakistan - more than 280 people killed in rain-related incidents since mid-June

Air India Express to provide improved air connectivity between Kolkata and Singapore

With effect from November 20, travelers from Kolkata to Singapore will have a choice of three flights on every Monday and Wednesday. Air India Express had introduced flights between Kolkata and Singapore four days a week. It will now have Singapore Airlines and Druk Air for company on these two days.
Singapore Airlines offers daily flight while Druk Air operates thrice a week.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 5 November 2016.

By virtue of introduction of the AI Express flights, capacity in the sector will increase to 2,870 seats a week — this would mean an extra 756 seats. The capacity may double in a couple of years as Singapore Airlines introduces a larger aircraft while AI Express and Druk Air hikes frequency.
It seems AI Express would explore flights to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Yangon, Dubai and Kathmandu as well once the fleet strength increase from 23 planes to 36 in two years. The additional planes will be taken on lease. Of the present fleet, 17 are owned by the airline and the remaining six, including the one that will operate flights from Kolkata to Singapore and Dhaka, are on lease.
On the domestic route, AI Express has plans to start a flight between Kolkata and Kochi.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Pine needles to produce electricity in Uttarakhand

Lost £250 wedding ring retrieved after the eight million gallon lake was drained

Jakarta to pay $1.5 for every rat caught to contain rat menace


Fuchka Festival in Kolkata and selfies (satire)

Moody fires cannons to eliminate mosquitoes (satire)

Lord Shiva’s Durga puja is about selfish people and selfies (satire)


Carey Mulligan leaves teddy bears outside gates of 10 Downing Street to protest attacks on Aleppo

Battle to liberate Mosul rages and ISIS fighters flee the city dressed as women

Group clashes in prisons in Brazil kill at least 18 inmates


The Guardians of the Galaxy 2 trailer released

Trailer of xXx: Return of Xander Cage starring Deepika Padukone launched in four Indian languages

Jackie Chan's Kung Fu Yoga to release on 28th January 2017

Off shore island tourism - nine islands selected from Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar

India wants to attract tourists to its off shore islands and, for a start, nine islands in Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar have been selected for conversion to tourist hot spot. This is a part of a master plan to boost tourism via water parks etcetera as has been done by Singapore.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 25 September 2016.

The islands that have been selected are Smith Island, Ross Island, Avis Island and Long Island in Andaman & Nicobar. And, Bangaram, Thinnakara, Suheli, Cheriyam and Minicoy in Lakshadweep. Some tourist facilities in Lakshadweep are, at present, limited to Bangaram and a few other islands. These will see development in infrastructure, tourism, agriculture (organic and fisheries) and renewable energy.
This project is being considered as drivers of tourism and sustainable economic development on the lines of countries like Singapore that uses water parks and natural resources to promote tourism. Thus they have overcome limited land areas while being mindful of conservation.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Disneyland bans 25 things including selfie sticks in all its locations

Hillary Clinton has pneumonia - she fell ill at September 11 memorial

Lord Ganesh's laddu weighing 21-Kg auctioned for Rs 14.65 in Hyderabad


Moody wants Gold medals from Olympics (satire)

Didi and her BMW dreams (satire)

Goddess Durga and her kids wait for the annual bash (satire)


Suicide bomb attack in Pakistani mosque during Friday prayers kill at least 25

Security beefed up for Munich Oktoberfest 2016

29 people injured in an explosion in New York - no evidence of any terror link


Shah Rukh's 'Fan' and Salman Khan's 'Sultan' to be screened at Busan International Film Festival

Sequel to Guardians of the Galaxy to release in US theaters on May 5, 2017

London-born singer Skepta wins the 25th Mercury prize fr his album Konnichiwa

Mamata Banerjee springs a surprise in Singur - invites Tata Motors to return to Bengal

West Bengal Chief minister Mamata Banerjee loves to take others by surprise. On the occasion of returning land to the unwilling farmers of Singur, she held out an olive branch to Tata Motors who had to abandon their Nano car project because of an agitation spearheaded by Mamata Banerjee herself.
She disclosed that her government owned nearly 1000 acres of land in a place known as Goaltore and would willingly let Tata Motors build a factory there.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 15 September 2016.

Mamata Banerjee has offered close to 1,000 acres of land in Goaltore, West Midnapore, to Tata Motors for an automobile plant and has given the company one month time to take a decision. Incidentally, in 2014, during a visit to Singapore, she had mentioned about the Goaltore land as a potential industrial site.
Obviously, people are curious to know more about Goaltore - the new industrial destination in Bengal. And, here are some salient features -

Area of land - 950.17 acres, it is owned by the government

Fencing - there is no proper fencing thus squatters can settle down easily

Connectivity - a narrow 29-Km road connects Goaltore to NH60 (Asansol to Balasore)

Proximity to large city - it is 185-Km away from Kolkata

Communication - travel time from Kolkata is around 3 hours

Electricity - there is a 400V line which is not enough for any industry. It is necessary for a sub-station with capacity of at least 132-KV.

Water - has to be brought from the Shilabati river which is 18-Km away.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org


Some more interesting links -

Clicking selfie with Ma Durga may be banned in Kolkata

Tackle the obesity crisis by outdoor activities like gardening

Cable cars stranded over Mont Blanc - 45 tourists had to spend the night suspended in air


Moody and the cow syndrome (satire)

Didi off to Rome in search of goodies (satire)

Lord Shiva and the auto hub that did not happen (satire)


At least 100 killed in airstrikes in Syria before ceasefire begins

Hillary Clinton reiterates that US will not put ground troops in Iraq and Syria

Abandoned car with gas cylinders found near Notre Dame cathedral


MTV's Video Music Awards in New York - Beyonce walked away with top honours

Sonakshi Sinha breaks bones and throws punches in Akira

Lindsay Lohan wants to participate in a Russian talk show with President Putin


Aamir Khan and Amitabh Bachchan to star together in Thugs of Hindostan

Dwayne Bravo says Deepika Padukone is his favourite star

Hollywood inequality - women hardly get a chance to speak

Digha eyeing the country's first marine tunnel aquarium like Singapore

It would be a joint venture between the BJP ruled Centre and the TMC ruled West Bengal government and they plan to pool their resources to build the country's first marine tunnel aquarium in Digha on the lines of that in Singapore.
Union environment, forest and climate change minister Prakash Javadekar was in Kolkata to inaugurate the Zoological Survey of India's centenary celebrations. He has discussed the matter with the environment minister of Bengal and, if all goes well, the marine tunnel museum in Digha could be a reality.
This has been reported in telegraphindia.com dated 2 July 2016.

The Zoological Survey of India had a marine museum in Digha and it was recently modernised at a cost of Rs 40 lakh. It is technically possible to convert it into a marine tunnel museum. If the state government submits a detailed project report and, if found feasible, the center would support it.
Beautifying Digha has always been one of the priorities of chief minister Mamata Banerjee. The proposed marine tunnel museum, which will be the first of its kind in India, will give a fillip to her plans. The director of the Zoological Survey of India has indicated that there is enough space in the museum to turn it into a state of the art marine aquarium so that visitors can enjoy marine life through a tunnel.
The museum, at present, houses more than 500 marine species that include fish, snakes, molluscs, corals, crabs, prawns, lobsters and echinoderms.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Powerful tornado hits eastern China killing at least 51 people

British Airlines have suspended all flights to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt indefinitely

People in Gujarat prefer mobile phones to toilets inside the house


Yoga and khadi gel with Baba and Moody (satire)

Didi’s ideas to prevent suicides in Metro Rail (satire)

Goddess Saraswati is furious with toppers toppled (satire)


Tom Hanks to receive the lifetime achievement award at the Rome Film Fest

Darth Vader, the galactic man in black, to make a comeback in Rogue One

'The Jungle Book' inches towards the Rs 200 crore mark - Disney contemplates a sequel


20-year-old British man wanted to kill Donald Trump in Las Vegas

Violence in Sirte between ISIS and pro-government militiamen kills at least 60

Terror suspect in Brussels shopping mall wore a fake suicide vest

Revival of Chinatown in Kolkata meets a roadblock

The plan to revive Chinatown of Kolkata was a 100-crore project and its purpose was to not only bring back the only Chinatown in India but bring back those members of the community who have migrated abroad for greener pastures. But - the plan has hit a roadblock.
This is because of a waste compactor machine proposed to be installed on New CIT Road near Tiretti market in Poddar Court. The equipment was meant to clear the area of several tonnes of garbage which is dumped here everyday. But, work on it has been put on hold after a local businessman filed a case. It seems the compactor machine would block 30 per cent of his shop-front.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 15 May 2016.

Obviously, the seeds of a revival plan that had been sown for the 200-year-old Chinese community in Kolkata has taken a beating. In the opinion of veterans in the fast dwindling community, someone has thrown a spanner in the works for an indefinite period.
The project CHA (acronym for Calcutta Heritage alliance) was estimated to cost Rs 100 crore, and was to be jointly borne by the state tourism department, the civic body and the CHA team. The proposal envisaged setting up stalls that would sell traditional Chinese food, covering a broad price range. Many of the stalls will be owned by members of the Chinese community who are already known for running restaurants. Some big food brands from Singapore were also supposed to join on 'food street'.


Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org

Some more interesting links -

Baya weaver birds return to Ganjam district in Odisha

28 thrillseekers stuck in Alton Towers Galactica rollercoaster ride for 40 minutes

Walking is the best exercise in polluted cities


Moody wonders why American space research firms are jittery (satire)

Lord Shiva and Durga on home delivery and drones (satire)

Sujjo Kanto and Ritu Bruto on free LPG connections (satire)


ISIS still holding 30 workers out of 300 kidnapped from cement factory in Dumeir

Another Bangladeshi blogger killed in Dhaka because of his views on religion

Florida hunters bag a 15-foot 800-pound massive alligator


Michael Fassbender to portray the role of a serial killer in 'Entering Hades'

Disney plans live action fairytales for 2017, 2018 and 2019 - specific films not disclosed

Matt Damon to return in new Jason Bourne film

Singapore turns 50 – celebrates with parades, fireworks

Singapore gained Independence only 50-years ago but, the way it has developed itself to a major tourism center and business hub is impressive. Its unrivaled economic success in a region that used to be struggling with poverty and political instability is for otters to emulate.
This has been reported in timesofindia.indiatimes.com dated 10 August 2015.

In order to celebrate, its fighter jets screamed through the sky and nationalist songs blared while the leaders made speeches and people were treated to free rides on trains and buses.
However, alongside its quantum leap from a poor colonial port to a wealthy metropolis, its people are now grappling with a growing resentment over political restrictions, an influx of foreign labor and the ever increasing cost of living.
The credit for the rise of Singapore should go to its founder and longest-serving leader, Lee Kuan Yew, who died in March at age 91. He had run a virtually one-party state as PM for more than three decades. He did not tolerate any political dissent.
It may be recalled that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had visited Singapore last year to attract investment in her state and had signed three major agreements – food park at Dankuni worth Rs 1000 crores, Calcutta Riverside Development worth Rs 200 crores, shipbuilding, oil and gas exploration in Sector V that would generate employment for 500 persons in two years’ time.
(Image courtesy wikimediacommons.org)

Some more interesting 'must reads'-

Take care of the heart – a few dos and don’ts

Chinese research finds that spicy food is the secret to a long life

Swatchh Bharat campaign takes a beating in Delhi itself


Dame Julie Andrews to direct new ‘My Fair Lady’ in Sydney for 60th birthday of Opera Australia

There is a fight scene between Captain America and Spiderman in ‘Civil War’

Shah Rukh Khan’s fond wish - to see Ethan Hunt and James Bond in one movie


Parts of lost plane MH370 of Malaysia Airline washes up on Reunion Island

Niloy Neel, fourth blogger of Bangladesh, hacked to death in Dhaka

Suicide bombers attack Kabul –kill dozens of innocents


A street food named jhal muri

A tribute to Kishore Kumar, the legend, on his 86th birthday

The world of fuchka, golgappa and panipuri

Year-end panic as AirAsia A320-200 with 162 on board goes missing

#A320200 #AirAsia #Indonesia #Singapore #MH370 An Airbus A320-200 of AirAsia en-route from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore with 162 people aboard lost contact with air traffic control about an hour before it was to land and is missing. The crew included two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer. This has been confirmed by officials of AirAsia Indonesia.
The crew of the Airbus A320-200 It was the Flight QZ8501 that took off from Juanda International Airport and lost contact with air traffic control at about shortly before it was to land at Singapore.
As revealed by Djoko Murjatmodjo, Indonesia's acting director general of transportation, the pilot of the plane lost contact with the air traffic control shortly after the pilot asked to avoid a cloud bank by turning left and going higher to 34,000 feet.
There was no distress signal from Flight QZ8501 - the distance between Surabaya and Singapore is about 860 miles and the contact was lost about 42 minutes after takeoff from Surabaya airport. It seems at that time, the plane was believed to be over the Java Sea between Kalimantan and Java islands. The weather in the area was cloudy.
The plane was carrying 155 passengers, including 138 adults, 16 children and an infant and most of them were Indonesian nationals. However, there also were one passenger each from Singapore, Malaysia and France and three from South Korea. This is another mysterious disappearance of a flight similar to the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 which went missing shortly after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur.