Navy on the alert for Phailin relief efforts

As the severe cyclone Phailin is poised to strike the east coast, the Eastern Naval Command of the Indian Navy has assumed the highest degree of readiness to render all necessary humanitarian assistance. Two Indian Naval ships including the Landing Platform Dock INS Jalashwa are standing by to proceed with dispatch to the most affected areas of Odisha in the aftermath. INS Jalashwa, second largest combatant of the Indian Navy, is ideally equipped to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support and hospital ship operations. Both the ships are poised with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats, integral helicopters and relief material that include food, tentage, clothes, medicines, blankets etc, in quantities sufficient to sustain over 5000 personnel for three days. Six advance diving teams with inflatable boats, rescue material and satellite communication have left for Odisha by road and will operate from INS Chilka, 50 km north of Gopalapatnam, where the cyclone is expected to make landfall. These personnel will be assisted by four platoons from the local Naval station and doctors from INHS Nivarini in their rescue and relief efforts.

The Eastern Naval Command is monitoring the developments closely and is in constant communication with the State Administration to augment the rescue and relief operations. Six helicopters are standing by at the Naval Air Station INS Dega to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, casualty evacuation and air drop of relief material to the stranded. Additionally, four Naval ships, 30 diving teams, four platoons with composite satellite communication and additional relief material are ready to be pressed into action at short notice, all along the East Coast from Visakhapatnam to Paradip.