India experienced warmest February this year since 1877: IMD
New Delhi, Feb 28: India reported the warmest February this year since 1877 with average maximum temperatures touching 29.54 degrees celsius, the weather office said on Tuesday while linking it with global warming.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said most parts of the country are expected to experience above-normal temperatures while the southern peninsula and parts of Maharashtra are likely to escape the brunt of harsh weather conditions.
Addressing a virtual press conference, S C Bhan, the Head of the Hydromet and Agromet Advisory Services of IMD said there was little probability of heat waves in March, but most parts of the country could experience extreme weather conditions in April and May.
The monthly average maximum temperature for February was the highest since 1877, Bhan told reporters in response to a question, linking the rising trend to the phenomenon of global warming.
"The entire globe is living in an era of global warming. We are living in a warming world," Bhan said when asked whether the high temperatures were an indication of climate change.
The monthly average minimum temperature over the Indian region was the fifth highest during this February since 1901.
Rainfall average over the country is most likely to be normal (83-117 per cent of long period average) in March, Bhan said. The LPA of rainfall over the country as a whole during March based on data from 1971-2020 is about 29.9 mm.
He said below-normal rainfall was expected over most areas of northwest India, west-central India and some parts of east and northeast India.
Normal to above-normal rainfall is likely over most parts of peninsular India, east-central India and some isolated pockets of northeast India.
Bhan said currently, La Nina conditions were prevailing over the equatorial Pacific region, which was expected to weaken and turn to El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) neutral conditions during the pre-monsoon season.
He said it was too early to forecast the impact of El Nino conditions on the monsoon season. "April would be a better time to forecast the impact of El Nino on the monsoon. We will issue a forecast mid-April," Bhan said.
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Noida International Airport appoints Nitu Samra as interim CEO
New Delhi (PTI): Noida International Airport on Friday announced the appointment of its Chief Financial Officer Nitu Samra as the interim Chief Executive Officer after authorities denied permission for foreign national Christoph Schnellmann to be at the helm.
"This change follows directions issued by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) that the Chief Executive Officer of an airport in India is required to be an Indian national," NIA said in a statement.
Samra will replace Schnellmann, a Swiss national who has led Noida International Airport (NIA) as the CEO since August 2020.
The regulatory issue related to the requirement of having an Indian national as CEO has been delaying the start of commercial operations of the airport, which was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 28.
Schnellmann will join the airport's Board of Directors as Executive Vice Chairman. In this role, he will continue to support the project and its transition to operations, the statement said.
With immediate effect, NIA said Samra has been appointed as the CEO on an interim basis until the Board of Directors can conclude a formal selection process.
Samra has been serving as the CFO since October 2021 and was closely involved in the airport’s development journey, overseeing financial stewardship, governance, and strategic planning during a key phase of the project, the statement added.
NIA will be operated by Yamuna International Airport Pvt Ltd (YIAPL), a subsidiary of Zurich Airport International AG, under a public-private partnership.
Originally scheduled to commence passenger services in September 2024, NIA is being developed in four phases, along with a dedicated cargo terminal. It received an aerodrome license from the aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in March.
YIAPL Chairman Daniel Bircher said that since the inauguration of the airport by the Prime Minister, the goal was to enable the start of operations as early as possible.
"This management change brings the airport into compliance with Bureau of Civil Aviation Security requirements while maintaining continuity in the airport’s leadership team. The newly structured team will support a smooth transition into operations, guided by clear and transparent governance and a strong corporate culture," he said.
On March 28, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said commercial flight operations from the airport would start in the next 45 to 60 days.
Among the largest greenfield airport projects in the country, NIA will initially have a capacity to handle 12 million passengers per annum.
Once fully developed, the airport will have a total passenger handling capacity of 70 million.
The first phase of NIA has been developed at an investment of around Rs 11,200 crore. 'DXN' is the code for the airport.
The airport features a 3,900-metre runway capable of handling wide-body aircraft, along with modern navigation systems, including Instrument Landing System (ILS) and advanced airfield lighting.
The peak handling capacity in the first phase will be 30 flights per hour.
In the first phase, there will be 28 aircraft stands, and the projected cargo capacity is around 2.5 lakh tonnes.
Terminal 1 of the airport is spread across 1,37,985 square metres with 48 check-in counters. Over 40 acres of land have been earmarked for developing MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities at the airport.
