Indian Armed Forces ready to launch relief and rescue operations

Hyderabad, Oct 12 (INN): After the cyclone ‘Hudhud’ struck the northern coast of Andhra Pradesh near Visakhapatnam today afternoon, the Armed Forces have repositioned their assets and waiting for the civil administration’s directions to launch rescue and relief operations in the cyclone affected regions of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

In the meantime, Andhra Sub Area of Army has deployed four teams of its personnel at Vishakhapatnam and four teams at Srikakulam (Tikli and Echerla). 300 Life Jackets, 12 Bauts, four Baps and eight OBMs are provided to them. Army has established a Disaster Management Cell at Air Defence College, Gopalpur. Six teams and ten Sub teams have been deployed for Road Opening Party and launching rescue and relief operations at Gopalpur. Army has also kept 25 rescue teams and two Engineer Task Forces on standby at Ranchi, Allahabad and Secunderabad.

Indian Navy has also positioned its assets and personnel in some of the important areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh including Chilka and Vishakhapatnam, for relief and rescue operation, which will be coordinated by Naval Officer-in-Charge, Odisha and Naval Officer-in-Charge Andhra Pradesh, respectively. It has kept 30 diving teams with Gemini craft and associated equipment, 20 rescue teams, four ships with Medical Bricks and medical stores, six helicopters and two fixed winged aircrafts and two medical teams ready at Vishakhapatnam for undertaking rescue and relief operations.

Indian Air Force has already geared itself up to undertake relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations as and when required. To bolster the transport efforts, IAF has kept one IL-76, one C-17 and five AN-32 aircraft ready at Chandigarh, Delhi, Jorhat and Agra. Keeping the rescue operations in mind it has kept in standby mode three Chetak at Hakimpet, one Medium Light Helicopter (Mi-8) at Yelahanka and ten Medium Light Helicopters (Mi-17) at Nagpur, Hyderabad, Kalaikunda, Suratgarh, Bagdogra and Barrackpore.  

Indian Coast Guard has also deployed 17 ships, two Air Cushion Vessels (ACVs) and 13 aircraft in Eastern and North-Eastern regions to augment the rescue and relief operations, wherever required. Out of 17 ships, six ships and five aircraft have been stationed at Chennai, three ships at Kakinada, three at Vishakhapatnam, four ships at Paradip, one ship, two ACVs and four aircraft at Haldia and four aircraft at Kolkata. Three rescue teams of Indian Coast Guard are also kept on standby at Vishakhapatnam, Kakinada and Gopalpur.

As the exact nature and magnitude of devastation is yet to emerge completely, the state authorities are now monitoring the route and velocity of the cyclone closely. The contour and the magnitude of relief operations by the armed forces in these two states will be shaped accordingly.