44 J&K residents evacuated from Tehran stuck in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Srinagar authorities have not permitted Indian Navy to transport 44 J&K residents back home on Monday, after a 14-day quarantine at a 100-bed facility, on returning from Iran on March 13.
Their final test reports on Sunday showed negative after their quarantine on March 27, and they were ready to fly at 2pm on Monday, but the authorities sought time as the entire country is under lockdown till April 14.
The travellers were upset as they were keen to return home soon, especially with temperature in Mumbai rising. From different parts of J&K, they had gone on a pilgrimage to Tehran when the coronavirus surfaced. They were stuck for days in Iran before being evacuated by a special flight.
The residents of Alaknath, Chandrakot, Kargil and Wadi were stranded as flights were stopped while they were on the pilgrimage. A special Iran Air flight eventually brought them to Mumbai, where they alighted at an isolation bay, were checked by health staff and handed over to naval authorities for quarantine at an Indian Navy Material Organisation unit in Ghatkopar (W).
The evacuees, including 22 women, are aged 19-80. “They got their final report late on Sunday, which showed negative but their plan of flying home was stalled as the Srinagar authorities would not allow it. They will have to continue staying at the quarantine facility,” an Indian defence source told TOI.
“I repeatedly tried to get in touch with the Srinagar authorities. The Navy provided us support and planned to take us to Badgam in Srinagar, but the authorities did not clear the journey,” tour operator Mohammed Ibrahim Sofi, who completed the quarantine, told TOI. The travellers had left Srinagar on February 3 and reached Iran on February 6. Pandurang Pole, divisional commissioner of Srinagar, said they were working on their return.