Indian government activates Air Suvidha (Image source: AP on right)
India has reactivated the Air Suvidha portal for passengers arriving from or transiting through Ebola-affected countries, allowing travellers to submit the mandatory Self-Declaration Form (SDF) online before landing in the country.The move comes amid heightened health surveillance measures following the World Health Organisation’s declaration of Ebola as a public health emergency of international concern.Officials said the online system is aimed at streamlining passenger processing and reducing congestion at airports.Chaos at airports over paper-based processIndia’s requirement for international arrivals to submit health declaration forms has been in place for nearly a month. However, the lack of a digital platform initially led to long queues and confusion at several airports.Travellers were required to fill out forms during their flights, adding to delays at arrival terminals as immigration officials collected and verified the declarations.What Is Air Suvidha?Air Suvidha, meaning “convenience” in Hindi, was introduced in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic as a mandatory online health declaration system for international arrivals. It was designed to support health monitoring and contact tracing during the pandemic.The Air Suvidha system was jointly administered by the Ministry of civil aviation, DGCA and the Ministry of health and family welfare.Earlier, Union health minister JP Nadda on June 17, said that USD 10 million has been announced by India for the preparedness, response, and recovery amid the ongoing Ebola outbreak at a ‘Virtual Summit’ organised by the African Union.
