UPDATE - 05 JAN 05

The Indian Navy continued the relief tasks working with the aim of providing the necessary assistance to restore normalcy in the Tsunami affected areas.  As on date, 28 ships, 19 helicopters and 07 fixed wing aircraft are deployed for the relief operations. More than 5000 naval personnel belonging to these ships as well as naval bases are deployed at home and abroad. Approximately 560 Tons of relief supplies (like Tents, Generators, Reverse Osmosis Plants, Blankets, etc), including 240 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 the essential stores and fuel for the IN ships deployed in relief operations to enhance their endurance. INS Brahmaputra ex-WNC with two Chetak helicopters is on passage to A & N Island with relief stores embarked from Chennai. INS Sharabh (LST) with 85 tons of provisions and stores embarked onboard is also proceeding to A&N Islands.  IN Ships Sandhayak and Darshak (both Survey Ships) arrived at Port Blair on 04 Jan 05 and are disembarking relief material. INS Nirdeshak, (Hospital Ship), is proceeding to the Southern Group of A&N Islands and will be calling at Chennai enroute for loading of relief material.

Nancowry.  IN Ships Magar, Gharial, Tiilanchang, LCU 38 and LCU 34 are operating off Chowra Island for relief operations. Power and water is available on the island.  The following camps have been set up in the Nancowry group of islands with the logistics chain being maintained by the naval ships:-

• Three Relief Camps on Kamorta Island.  The total strength of the camp is 2140.
• One camp at Pulo Millow Island with a strength of 500 people.
• One camp at Champion Island with a strength of 780 people. 
• Five camps on Katchall Island at Maldera (Two), Upper Katchal (Two) and Jan Singh Bay with a total strength of 3828 people.
• Four relief camps on Tarassa island with a strength of 2137 people.

Chowra Island. INS Magar has evacuated 1287 people from Chowra Island in three batches to Tarassa Island.

Hutbay Island.  INS Kumbhir with Army troops, medical team and 20 drums of petrol has been deployed at Hutbay for disposal of bodies.

Assessment Team.  A tri-service team headed by a Commodore has been deputed to A&N Islands from New Delhi to assist in the planning and execution of further relief operations. 

INS Rajput, Cheetah and LCU 39 are operating off Great Nicobar and Little Nicobar Islands for evacuation of personnel and disposal of dead bodies.   

East Coast (Op MADAD)

Tamil Nadu Coast 

Diving Operations. The diving operations by the Indian Naval  Diving Team to clear obstructions in Chennai port are continuing.  The diving team, which was deployed at Vellar River (near Nagapattinam), cleared approximately 4 Km long fishing nets that had fouled with bridge pillars. The extraction of net to locate dead bodies, is planned tomorrow, on a crane being made available. Light fishing activity was observed in the area for the first time indicating return of some amount of normalcy in the area.

Nagapattinam.

IN Ships Ranjit and Khanjar continued to operate relief camps at Nagapattinam. The medical camps established at Neela Dathi, Sri Perumal Temple and Nagore Durgah continued to treat patients.

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 to local administration.

Assistance to Sri Lanka (Op RAINBOW)

Galle

IN Ships Sarvekshak and Sutlej (Survey Ships) became the first ships to enter Galle harbour after the devastation caused by the Tsunami, resulting in the closure of the harbour.  The divers and survey teams worked tirelessly till the channels were fully cleared. Thereafter the two Indian Naval ships passed through the very same channel and entered the port, demonstrating the professional competence and commitment of our naval personnel. RAdm Wasntha Tenakoon, Commander of the Southern Naval Area, Sri Lankan Navy, along with the Assistant Indian High Commissioner received the ships at the port.  Two jetties in the harbour have now been cleared for ships with draught upto 6.5 mtrs.  The following tasks were undertaken by the ships towards operationalising the port:-

• Survey of the harbour entrance and channel using side scan sonars.
• Extensive diving was undertaken to clear a large number of sunken boats, trawlers and other underwater obstacles along the channel.
• Teams from the ships have also been deployed for clearing the debris from the approach roads and restoration of essential services like power and water supply in the port. 

INS Sarvekshak disembarked four truckloads of medicines/relief material for use at Indian Medical Camp at Hambantota and distribution by the High Commission of India, Colombo. The Army composite team (81 personnel) from INS Sarvekshak has been deployed at HQ Southern Naval Base at Boossa.  The following tasks were undertaken by the composite team:-

• Restoration of water supply lines.
• Repair and replacement of plumbing.
• Restoration of power supply in certain residential areas.
• Repairs to certain important buildings and wooden structures.
• Rectification of faulty telecom systems in few areas by the Signal personnel.

INS Jamuna (Hospital ship) is being redeployed to Trincomalee after transferring the composite Army team to INS Sarvekshak.

INS Sutlej will proceed to Colombo for survey of harbour in consultation with the High Commission of India after the disembarkation of the Medical Team to Ampara.

Medical Camps.  Medical camps conducted by Naval personnel are operating at the following locations:-

• 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 .
• IN Ships Sutlej and Sarvekshak are operating two medical camps at Galle.  
• Two Medical Officers and 06 Medical Assistants from INS Kirch have been deployed at Kinniya in Trincomalee district.
• Six Medical Officers and 12 Medical Assistants from INS Aditya are deployed in Batticaloa area.
• The Medical Team deployed at Trincomalee has been deployed at China Bay as requested by SL Navy authorities.  Three medical camps have been set up at Gopalpuram, Adampodai and Periyakulam villages covering approximately 750 families. 

Aircraft Detachment

An aircraft detachment comprising one Dornier and one Islander aircraft continues to be deployed at Ratmalana Airbase near Colombo since 30 Dec 04. 

One Dornier aircraft was launched from Kochi to Colombo (Ratmalana Airbase) yesterday to airlift three officers and three sailors of the Southern Naval Command, for setting up a relief coordination cell at the High Commission of India at Colombo. In addition, two Islander aircraft ferried medical supplies from Kochi to replenish the medical camps operated by IN ships in Sri Lanka.

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 function at Trincomalee. The camp is providing valuable assistance to the Sri Lankan Govt/Naval authorities. 

INS Kirch (Corvette) with relief supplies is deployed at Trincomalee since 01 Jan 05.  One team of three officers and 25 sailors from the ship were deployed at SL Naval Base at Nilaveli and undertook relief work at Gopalpuram village in vicinity of Nilaveli.   

INS Ghorpad (Landing Ship Tank) arrived at Chennai yesterday for embarking additional relief material as requested by the Sri Lankan Government.  

Relief Assistance to Maldives (Op CASTOR)

IN Ships Mysore and Aditya (Tanker) entered Male harbour.   A coordination meeting was held at Male on 04 Jan 05 and it was assessed that the relief operations by IN Ships had been well-accomplished.  Accordingly, INS Mysore and Aditya departed Male the same evening.  Aditya is being redeployed off Kochi for logistics support of ships deployed for Op RAINBOW.   However, CGS Sagar is still deployed in Maldives and is continuing with transportation of relief supplies to various islands.

Indonesia (Op GAMBHIR)

IN Ships Nirupak (Hospital Ship) with Chetak helo and Khukri (Corvette) arrived off Indonesia AM 04 Jan 05. As agreed in the coordination meeting attended by the Ambassador of India, the ships have been redeployed to Meulaboh port on the West coast of Indonesia.  The ships are scheduled to arrive off Meulaboh AM 05 Jan 05 to disembark the relief supplies carried onboard.    

Summary

The Navy is continuing the task of carrying the large quantities of relief material from mainland to islands. The relief material like provisions, desalination plants, generator sets, tents, GI sheets,. etc carried to the far flung islands by the ships are very essential for the rehabilitation process of the affected people. The ships and helicopters still shifting the stranded people from the worst affected areas to safer places where relief camps have been set up. Medical camps set up by the naval personnel are providing medical attention to the needy people.

After completing the relief assistance tasks in Maldives, the Indian Naval ships are returning back while the relief tasks in Sri Lanka are still continuing.  Galle Harbour has reopened for traffic. The two Indian Naval ships carrying relief supplies and medicines have reached Indonesia and are in the process of disembarking the material to one of the worst affected areas of the disaster. To sustain this relief operation over 1200 nautical miles away from the mainland, a logistics chain by support ships has been put in place. All the rehabilitation tasks required from the Navy for the coastal areas of East Coast and A & N Islands would continue as long as it takes to restore normalcy in these areas.