Covid-19 killed 2.1 crore tourism jobs: Govt in Lok Sabha

Govt says tourist arrivals in country were down 93 per cent in the first wave

Around 21.5 million people, involved in the tourism industry, have lost their jobs due to the three waves of COVID-19 that first hit the country in early 2020, Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy said on Monday. Reddy said tourist arrivals in the country were down by 93 per cent during the first wave of COVID-19 outbreak, 79 per cent in the second wave and 64 per cent during the third wave.

"We have conducted a study on the impact of the pandemic on tourism. As per the study, there were 14.5 million job losses during the first wave, 5.2 million job losses in the second wave and 1.8 million job losses in the third wave," he said in Lok Sabha during Question Hour.

Reddy said 38 million people were involved with the tourism industry in the country before the pandemic hit the country. The minister said the tourism economy was down significantly during the three waves of coronavirus, which hit this sector badly not only in India but across the globe.

Water in Ganga is fit for bathing, says govt

The dissolved oxygen level of Ganga which is a parameter to assess the health of the water body has been found to be within acceptable limits of the bathing criteria, the government said on Monday. Minister of State for Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu said none of the Ganga stretches is in priority or most polluted category of I to IV. The Centre has sanctioned projects worth Rs 30,853 crore under the Namami Gange Programme.

‘Nine states have not reduced VAT on fuel'

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday informed the Rajya Sabha that nine states, including Maharashtra and Kerala, have not reduced VAT on petrol and diesel. On Russia offering discounts on crude oil, Puri said "the government will explore all options which are available".

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Percentage drop in tourist arrivals in country in 2nd wave

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