Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Bhutanese students stuck in Greater Noida to be evacuated via special flight

ByPreety Acharya, Noida
Apr 06, 2020 05:56 AM IST

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Delhi has written to Sharda University in Greater Noida to make arrangements for students to

In light of the coronavirus pandemic, the Royal Bhutanese Embassy in Delhi has written to Sharda University in Greater Noida to make arrangements for students to reach the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on April 9 so that they can be flown back to Bhutan in a special flight.

University authorities said the university and the Bhutanese embassy have been in touch for the past one month to ensure the safety of Bhutanese students. The embassy has asked Sharda University to make arrangements for the students to reach the IGI airport from the university campus.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

“Due to the Covid-19 situation, the Royal Government of Bhutan is planning to evacuate its citizens from India to Bhutan on a special flight. The students will have to travel from their current location to Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi so that they can all travel together in the same flight,” said Dolay Tshering, education attache, Royal Bhutanese Embassy in his letter to the Sharda University authorities.

The Bhutanese government is sending its national carrier Druk Air to evacuate the students and its other citizens. A total of 41 students from Gautam Budh Nagar will go back to Bhutan in the special flight that will leave at 2pm on April 9. Out of 41 students, 39 are from Sharda University while two are from other colleges.

“We have been in touch with various embassies since the Covid-19 outbreak started to ensure that no student or their family member gets worried. The Bhutanese embassy has asked us to make arrangements for vehicles so that the students can reach the airport. We will take all the required permissions to drop these students to the airport,” said Ashok Daryani, director, international relations, Sharda University.

Over 94 Bhutanese nationals study at Sharda University, out of which 60 have opted for staying the university hostel. Currently, 25 students are living in the hostel, while 14 are staying outside the campus. Few of the students had left before the national lockdown was announced, the university officials said.

“The students will leave in a Druk Air flight from Delhi to Paro on April 9. Recently, the government had also taken over Sharda Hospital to treat Covid-19 patients, and we are in touch with the concerned officials to get the required permission to facilitate the students’ travel to the international airport amid ongoing lockdown. The Bhutanese Embassy is also trying to get the permission for hassle-free movement of students from our campus to the airport,” Daryani added.

Students who will leave for Bhutan want to get back to their families soon and said they are scared that it will take months for everything to get back to normal. “It looks that it is going to take a long time before things get back to normal so we are happy that our government has made arrangements for us to go back home. I am not sure about when I will come back to India as we don’t know how long it will take for the situation to come under control. The university authorities are providing us all the facilities, but we want to go back to our families,” said Tenzin Drakpa, 24, a third-year BBA student.

“A lot of our friends have gone back home. Few of us are left behind, and some of us are inside the campus. University authorities are taking the pandemic seriously and our following the lockdown instruction strictly, nobody is allowed to leave the campus or to come inside. We are hopeful that the situation gets normal soon,” Ugyen Dema, 20, another third-year BBA student, said.

More than 3,000 foreign nationals study in Greater Noida, out of which, over 2,000 students are pursuing various courses at Sharda University.

SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
OPEN APP