INTEGRATED HEADQUARTERS OF MINISTRY OF DEFENCE (NAVY)
RELIEF ASSISTANCE PROVIDED BY INDIAN NAVY
The Indian Navy today has 24 ships, 14 helicopters and 5 fixed wing aircraft engaged in the relief operations. In addition, the naval bases located near the Tsunami hit areas have been rendering immense contribution towards expediting the process of restoring normalcy. Over 4500 Indian Naval personnel are committed to these operations. Approximately 680 Tons of relief supplies (like Tents, Gensets, Desalination Plants, Blankets, etc), including 300 Tons of provisions and 11 Tons of medicines have been delivered by the naval ships and aircrafts to the affected areas.
Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Op SEA WAVES)
INS Jyoti continues to be deployed in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands. The ship has been providing the essential stores and fuel (on site) for the IN ships deployed in relief operations.
INS Sharabh (LST) is disembarking 85 tons of relief material at Kamorta.
INS Darshak (Survey Ship), landed about 500 kgs relief material at Katchall Island by helecopter.
IN Ships Trinkat and LCU 38 continue to operate in Nancowry for relief operations.
Hut Bay Island
IN Ships Kumbhir , LCU 39, LCU 35, and LCU 36 are providing relief assistance. Vehicles embarked on the ships were disembarked ashore.
IN Ships Rajput, Brahmaputra and Sandhayak (Survey Ship) are operating off Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar Islands to coordinate the relief operations. Rajput embarked a Doordarshan team for briefing on the relief operations. The jetty survey undertaken by Sandhayak at Great Nicobar reported the absence of any underwater obstruction. A Marine Cammando team conducted extensive search at Indira Point Light House area but did not observe any sign of human life.
East Coast (Op MADAD)
Tamil Nadu Coast
Diving Operations The diving operations by IN Diving Team to clear obstructions in Chennai port are continuing.
Nagapattinam
The medical camp established by INS Ranjit ashore continues to provide the necessary assistance.
Assistance to Sri Lanka (Op RAINBOW)
Galle
INS Sarvekshak (Survey ship) is alongside the New Jetty at Galle and continues to coordinate activities of the medical and relief camps ashore. Two separate medical teams have been deployed in remote areas in addition to the one at Galle.
The Indian Army's composite team (81 personnel) from INS Sarvekshak has been re-deployed at SLNS Dakshin at Galle to undertake relief work.
INS Sutlej (Survey Ship) entered Colombo on 06 Jan 05. The following tasks were undertaken by Sutlej at Colombo :-
* GPS observation for setting reference stations.
* Location of benchmarks and levelling.
* Checking of automatic tide gauge.
* 25% sounding operations and 30% coastlining completed.
* Three medical officers and six medical assistants disembarked for departure to Ampara to be deployed in the medical camps.
Medical Camps
Medical camps conducted by Naval personnel are operating at the following locations:-
* One Army Field Hospital, which was airlifted from Kochi on 26 Dec 04, continues to be employed with Sri Lankan Army Military Engineering Regiment in Embilipitiya near Hambantota and are attending to casualties. Mobile sections are working in different relief camps in the area in coordination with local, civil and military authorities.
* Medical camps were set up at the following locations in Galle and Colombo by IN Ships Sarvekshak and Sutlej:-
* Hotel Closenberg in Galle.
* Two camps in remote areas.
* At Ampara near Colombo.
* Two Medical Officers and 06 Medical Assistants from INS Kirch are deployed at Kinniya in Trincomalee district to run a medical camp.
* Six Medical Officers and 12 Medical Assistants from INS Aditya are deployed in Batticaloa area. On an average 500 patients are being treated daily.
Aircraft Detachment
* One Dornier ex-Kochi disembarked 650 kg of medical stores to the Field Ambulance deployed in Sri Lanka.
* An Islander carried 260 kg of spares to the SLAF helicopter unit at China Bay.
Trincomalee
IN Ships Jamuna, Ghorpad and Kirch are 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. The Indian contingent undertook the following relief activities:-
* Conduct of relief operations by establishing an out post at Kuchiveli by Jamuna.
* Psychiatrist treated patients at government hospital Trincomalee.
* Continuation of relief work in Nelaveli camp.
* Two Medical Teams proceeded to Kuchiveli Govt Hospital and Vellur village medical camp and treated 170 patients.
An Indian Naval diving team consisting of one officer and one sailor is proceeding to Kankesanturai harbour (Jaffna) for survey of the harbour. The team was ferried to Colombo by an Islander aircraft ex-Kochi.
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 helecopter and Khukri (Corvette) arrived off Meulaboh (Indonesia) on 05 Jan 05.
The disembarkation of relief stores has commenced using one large boat ex-Indonesian Naval Ship Kambani and three local boats. About 20 tons of relief stores have been handed over to Indonesian Naval authorities at Meulaboh. The process of stores disembarkation was slow due to inclement weather.
The medical camp has been relocated to premises provided by the Indonesian Army and all the medical relief stores ex- Khukri have been disembarked to the camp ashore. The modalities of integrating own resources with other medical agencies is being worked out to ensure optimisation of resources and extension of aid to a larger cross- section of victims.
SUMMARY
The ships, aircraft and personnel of the Indian Navy are continuing to augment the rehabilitation work initiated by the Central and State Governments. This is being done in terms of transporting relief material, evacuation of personnel to relief camps, running of medical camps, etc. The ships along with personnel deployed in Sri Lanka and Indonesia are undertaking tasks to restore various essential services and thereby assist in bringing back normalcy.