Chennai: At a time when the all passenger airlines in India have been grounded due to the ongoing 21-day lockdown, as a precaution against the spread of coronavirus COVID-19, there are only a few cargo flights and special evacuation flights that are operational. While the clearance of large commercial cargo is not underway due to the restrictions on transport, customs officials at Chennai, Tamil Nadu, are ensuring that all consignments related to medical equipment are being cleared on priority. The smooth clearance of special evacuation flights is also being facilitated.
A special fight arrived in Chennai from Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur on March 23 carrying 113 Indian citizens, who were provided clearance along with their baggage, following which the passengers were quarantined as per government instructions. Since April 1, seven flights carrying foreign nationals had flown to their respective destinations from the Chennai airport, carrying a total of 1,142 passengers. This included four Batik Air flights to Kuala Lampur, two Air India flights to Frankfurt and one Qatar Airways flight to Paris via Doha.
The officials at the Chennai customs courier terminal have also been facilitating urgent clearance of critical equipment and components used in the manufacture of PCBs for ventilators, defibrillators, gloves, masks, non-contact thermometers etc. Parcels of lifesaving medicines, N-95 masks and face masks arriving from different countries for individuals are being cleared on a priority basis at Foreign Post Office.
Several consignments of thermometers, COVID-19 test kits, R & D material relating to COVID test kits have been cleared by the customs officials on priority. Export cargo is also being cleared smoothly at the Air Cargo Commissionerate, Chennai. On April 2, a special Indian Air force (IAF) flight carrying essential medicines and medical equipment to the Maldives had landed at Chennai and was cleared by the customs officials.
“We are working with a skeletal staff, but we are ensuring that each and every one of our officers is wearing a face mask, gloves and using headgear, goggles and full sleeves. All of them are provided with sanitizers as well. When we have flights coming in, we get the information in advance and we would be ready with additional staff, as per the requirement. For urgent medical supplies that reach our foreign post office, we ask the consignee to come and collect it as they could be life-saving medicines or protection equipment that has been sent from abroad," said Rajan Chaudhary, Commissioner of Customs, Chennai International Airport.
"We have so far received 21 shipments in total, which consisted of critical components of ventilators, face masks, digital thermometers and some medicines. In these cases, considering the urgency, we ensure that the formalities are completed immediately and that the goods are handed over to the concerned person," he added.
