INTEGRATED HEADQUARTERS OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (NAVY)

 
 

RELIEF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY INDIAN NAVY

UPDATE - 06 JAN 05

 

Today, a total of 26 ships, 17 helicopters and 4 fixed wing aircraft of the Indian Navy are continuing with relief operations. Over 4500 naval personnel belonging to these units as well as the naval bases located near the Tsunami hit areas are rendering immense contribution towards expediting the process of restoring normalcy. Approximately 680 Tons of relief supplies (like Tents, generators, Reverse Osmosis Plants, Blankets, etc), including 300 Tons of provisions and 10 Tons of medicines have been delivered by the naval ships and aircraft to the affected areas.

Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Op SEA WAVES)

INS Jyoti continues to be deployed in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands for providing essential stores and fuel (on site) for the IN ships deployed in relief operations.  

INS Brahmaputra, with two Chetak helicopters is on passage to A & N Islands after having embarked relief stores at Chennai. On arrival, the ship would disembark the relief supplies carried onboard to the Southern Group of Islands. The two helicopters carried onboard the ship will be pressed into service for evacuation of personnel, distribution of food, provisions and relief material to the affected areas.

INS Sharabh (Landing Ship) with 85 tons of provisions and stores embarked at Chennai is proceeding to Kamorta for disembarkation of relief material.  

INS Sandhayak (Survey Ship) is carrying out ground recce of Pulo Millow and Menchal  Islands off Little  Nicobar.  On completion, the ship will proceed to Nancowry for disembarkation of stores.

INS Darshak (Survey Ship), with relief supplies arrived Port Blair on 04 Jan 05. The ship has been re-deployed to Nancowry for disembarking relief material and hydrographic survey.

INS Nirdeshak, (Hospital Ship) is proceeding to Southern Group of A&N Islands and will be calling at Chennai enroute for loading of relief material.

INS Gharial on completion of evacuation of personnel and disembarkation 32 tons of stores at Nancowry Islands, is proceeding to Visakhapatnam for turn around.

IN Ships Tillangchang and LCU 34, deployed in the Southern Group of Islands have  returned to Port Blair.

Nancowry 

IN Ships Trinkat , Cheetah and LCU 38 are operating in the area for relief operations. INS Magar after disembarkation of stores and evacuation of 1283 survivors from Chowra Island to the Teresa relief camp has returned to Port Blair. 

Hut Bay Island

IN Ships Kumbhir and LCU 39 carried out survey at the Passa, Teetop and Sawai beaches to ascertain the feasibility of landing stores and personnel ashore.

INS Rajput continues to operate off Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar Islands. The ship has used her helicopter for evacuating stranded personnel and deployed medical teams for disposal of dead bodies. 

East Coast (Op MADAD)

Tamil Nadu Coast

Diving Operations. Diving operations by IN Diving Team to clear obstructions in Chennai port are continuing.

Nagapattinam.

IN Ships Ranjit and Khanjar continued to operate relief camps at Nagapattinam. The medical camps were established at Sri Perumal Temple and Nambiar Nagar.  In addition, mobile medical was also set up for wider coverage.

Diving teams are standing-by for providing assistance to the District administration.

In view of near normalcy returning to the area, naval assistance from sea is being scaled down. However, the naval medical camps established ashore would continue to function.

Kanyakumari District.  The relief work in coastal villages of Kanyakumari district is continuing and is being coordinated by the Naval Officer-in-Charge, Tamil Nadu.

IN XFAC T-84 is operating off Tuticorin to provide relief assistance such as scouring the area for dead bodies, transportation of urgent relief material to local administration, etc.

Assistance to Sri Lanka (Op RAINBOW)

Galle 

INS Sarvekshak (Survey ship) is coordinating relief activities ashore. The ship disembarked six tons of medicines/relief material for use by the Medical Camps run by the Indian Navy medical teams.

INS Sutlej (Survey Ship) is on passage to Colombo for undertaking survey of Colombo harbour in consultation with the High Commission of India.

The Army composite team (81 personnel) from INS Sarvekshak has been re-deployed for repair of SLNS Dakshin at Galle.

The following relief assistance was provided by the Indian contingent:-

Medical Camps. One medical team, airlifted from Kochi, continues to be  employed with Sri Lankan Army Military Engineering Regiment in Embilipitiya near Hambantota and are attending to casualties since  26 Dec. Medical camps were set at the following locations in Galle by IN ships Sarvekshak and Sutlej:-  

Two Medical Officers and 06 Medical Assistants from INS Kirch continue to be deployed at Kinniya in Trincomalee district.

Six Medical Officers and 12 Medical Assistants from INS Aditya are deployed in Batticaloa area.

Aircraft Detachment. The Islander aircraft undertook one recce sortie with one pilot each from the Sri Lankan Air Force (SLAF) and Italian Air Force embarked for aerial recce of the Southern coast from Galle to Hambantota to identify suitable landing sites for operations of Italian sea planes.  On completion aircraft landed at Koggala air field to assess feasibility of basing Italian sea-planes. On the return-leg, three SLAF personnel took passage to Ramalana air base.

Trincomalee 

Relief Camp at Trincomalee. A relief camp comprising 05 officers, 22 senior sailors and 35 junior sailors, equipped with portable equipment and engineering support tools continues to provide relief assistance to the needy people in the area.

INS Kirch (Corvette) with relief supplies is deployed at Trincomalee since 01 Jan 05.  One team of 03 officers and 25 sailors from the ship were deployed at SL Naval Base at Nilaveli for relief operations.

INS Ghorpad (Landing Ship Tank) is proceeding to Trincomalee with 120 tons of relief material.

INS Jamuna has been redeployed from Galle to Trincomalee. The ship has been converted to a 44-bedded hospital ship with the following facilities:-

Relief Assistance to Maldives (Op CASTOR)

CGS Sagar continues to be deployed in Maldives to support relief operations at various islands.

Indonesia (Op GAMBHIR)

IN Ships Nirupak (Hospital Ship) with Chetak helo and Khukri (Corvette) arrived off Meulaboh, Indonesia on 05 Jan 05. The disembarkation of relief stores has commenced using local boats. A medical camp is being set-up ashore in consultation with Indonesian authorities. 

Summary

The ships and aircraft of the Navy are continuing the task of carrying the large quantities of relief material from mainland to far-flung islands as well as to other affected areas. The distribution of relief material to different places is being carried out in close coordination with the local administration While the latter is in-charge of the action plan for restoration of basic needs of the people like making available of food, shelter and livelihood. The relief material like provisions, desalination plants, generator sets, tents, GI sheets, utensils, etc carried to the remote islands by the ships along with other modes of transportation are the raw material for the rehabilitation process. The ships and helicopters are still shifting the stranded people from the worst affected areas to safer places where relief camps have been set up.  Relief material and medical supplies are also being made available to the affected people in Indonesia and Sri Lanka. Our ships, aircraft and personnel are working side-by-side with other countries who are reaching these areas to help the governments of the Tsunami hit countries and the population affected by the devastation.