Reasons to smile

Uttarakhand became the latest state to ban Maggi noodles after Delhi while two more states will take a decision on Thursday, deepening a crisis for manufacturer Nestle India amid mounting food-safety fears across the nation.

Uttarakhand’s decision came after the Delhi government banned the popular noodles brand for 15 days on Wednesday, sending Nestle India’s shares crashing at the benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange.

The debate over the popular noodles brand in the country – which has drawn in Bollywood stars into the controversy -- broke after food safety inspectors in Uttar Pradesh ordered recall of a 200,000-pack batch of noodles following spot checks which showed elevated levels of monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavour enhancer, and lead 17 times above the permissible limit.

PTI quoted Uttarakhand principal secretary health Om Prakash as saying that the decision to ban the sale of Maggi was taken on Wednesday night in public interest.

“We are informing all the 13 districts about the decision (to ban) Maggi. We are also sending them a formal order today,” BR Tamta, joint commissioner, Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSA) told Hindustan Times on Thursday.
Though officials yet to get results of laboratory tests on fresh Maggi samples,  Tamta said “a sample collected early this year from Pauri was found to contain (high) MSG and lead contents”.

Jharkhand and Gujarat are also likely to take a decision on Thursday whether to ban Maggi while Maharashtra has put off its decision to Friday after collecting fresh samples from several cities for laboratory tests.

The health ministers of the two BJP-ruled states had said on Wednesday that results of laboratory test on Maggi samples are expected by Thursday and decisions would be taken as soon as they are analysed.

According to medical experts, excessive intake of lead can cause damage to the kidneys, bones and nervous system. It is particularly harmful to children and can cause learning disorders. MSG, on the other hand, can damage the nervous system with long-term use.

The UP food safety and drug administration (FSDA) last week filed a criminal complaint against Nestle India besides dragging actors Amitabh Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit and Preity Zinta separately for promoting the ‘two-minute’ noodles brand.

The Indian Army also issued an advisory on Wednesday asking its personnel not to consume Maggi noodles and directed military canteens to set aside the existing stock of the popular snack until further orders.

The order covers over 1000 army canteens and the complete 13-lakh strong army.

“The advisory is effective till further order,” an army official said.

Several states have either ordered the withdrawal of the popular snack from shops or ordered the testing of samples, prior to taking action against Nestle, whose shares slumped over 10% amid widespread panic over safety standards.

The benchmark Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) has asked Nestle to clarify reports on Maggi samples failing safety test in Delhi.

The Delhi ban announced during market hours on Wednesday led to a 9% drop in Nestle India shares on the BSE, extending the fall to 11.7% since the UP government’s recall of Maggi packs.

Nestle India said it has not received any order from central or state authorities for recall of Maggi noodles.

Strong winds of change are blowing at the Capital's airport terminals. The Union government wants all passenger flights to operate from Terminal 3 (T3) of the Delhi airport. Currently, both domestic and international flights operate from T3 and 1D is Delhi's solely domestic terminal.
With a view to cutting down on passenger fares, transit time and fuel consumption, the Ministry of Civil Aviation has asked the Delhi airport operator to come up with a concrete plan for synchronising all operations of passenger aircraft at T3.
Mail Today has accessed the ministry's letter to the operator, Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL). The aviation ministry has sought an urgent meeting on Thursday with DIAL and other agencies concerned, and also asked the operator to explore the possibility of making 1D a full-fledged cargo terminal.


"The Delhi International Airport Limited will come out with a concrete action plan for decongestion of Terminal 1D with the possibility of making it a full-fledged cargo terminal and synchronising all operations of passenger aircraft from Terminal 3," UK Bhatia, under-secretary in the ministry of civil aviation, wrote to DIAL on Monday.
The ministry believes that the passengers will have to pay less if the plan is executed. "Several airlines have complained to Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the aviation regulator, about fuel wastage. The shifting will mean aircraft will not have to travel hundreds of metres just to reach the taxiing bay. Also, airlines can save on rent and maintenance charges. For transit passengers too, this plan will come as a boon as they would not be forced to travel to Terminal 1D to board domestic flights," a ministry official told Mail Today.
"Aircraft fuel consumption in Delhi is much higher than at other airports as the aircraft need to travel a lot after landing and before taking off. Also, if somebody has come to Delhi from Dubai on board an Air India flight and wants to go to Patna by Indigo airlines, s/he has to use a bus or taxi to travel from T3 to T1D. If all passenger operations are clubbed together at T3, it will be a great help for the 1 lakh passengers travelling daily from the Delhi airport," the official added.
A number of airlines, including Indigo and SpiceJet, have been asking the government to shift all passenger operations to Terminal 3. The airlines have also offered various incentives to implement the proposal, including a possible reduction in air fares, said sources.
But DIAL is not very keen on this plan because various projects related to Terminal 1D, including connecting runways to Terminal 1D via an elevated taxiway, are already in the pipeline.
"The Delhi airport already has four cargo terminals. They are working perfectly. This plan will add burden to the agencies involved in the airport's operation.
Ultimately, it will burden passengers because the cost of operations at the airport will go up. Projects worth crores of rupees directly related to Terminal 1D are already lined up. Also, this terminal was renovated as early as in December last year," sources at the airport said. The Delhi International Airport Limited authorities refused to speak to MAIL TODAY on the issue. Work is on in full swing on a first-of-its-kind elevated taxiway for aircraft connecting runway number 11/29 with the parking bay situated near Terminal 1D.
At this "eastern cross taxiway", two main roads will intersect connecting T3 with the city and two tunnels will be built to enable the smooth movement of traffic, airport officials said. This project will help aircraft reduce fuel consumption by almost 30 per cent and save passengers' time too.