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Indian military succour to Tsunami victims

	January 10, 2005

The Indian military continues its operations to provide succour to victims of the Tsunami both at home and in the neighbouring countries.



Aircraft and ships carried thousands of tonnes of relief materials and specialist medical and rescue teams to Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives as the military also worked overtime in south India and the island territories.

The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued and airlifted over 5,000 people from tsunami-affected areas of south India and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as part of “Operation Sea Wave”.



The Army set up a field hospital with medical specialists in Sri Lanka.

Since the tidal waves devastated several countries in South Asia on December 26, the IAF airlifted over 5,000 tonnes of food, water, blankets, tents, clothing, generators and medicines.



The Air Force moved 16,000 litres of aviation fuel to the island territories so that relief operations can be carried out unhindered. The IAF’s Mi-17 helicopters and Il-76 jets were also pressed into operation for rescue and relief work in Sri Lanka and the Maldives.



India sent two of its naval ships to Indonesia to assist in relief and rehabilitation operations there. One of the two ships was converted into a makeshift hospital to provide medical assistance to people.



The ships would meet the requirements of Indonesia conveyed to the joint control room set up in New Delhi by the Defence and Home Ministries.

The Indian Navy had by Jan 4 cleared Sri Lanka’s key Galle port after an extensive operation to remove sunken vessels there. Nine Indian warships were sent to Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Indonesia with supplies and medical teams.

This was the first time that Indian warships were sent on a relief mission to Indonesia.



The crews of four Indian naval ships sent to Sri Lanka set up medical camps and kitchens. Diving teams carried out extensive operations around the ports of Galle, in the island’s south, and Trincomalee, in the east, to remove obstacles like sunken boats and a trawler.



Three Indian warships sent to the Maldives were involved in relief operations there since Dec 28. The personnel from these ships have restored basic amenities like water supply and electricity.



The biggest peacetime relief operation by India’s armed forces also gave the military a rare opportunity to interact with its counterparts in Myanmar.

For the first time in 15 years, Indian helicopters flew to Yangon to make the shortest possible flight to Port Blair in the Tsunami-devastated Indian archipelago.



Air Marshal S.K. Malik, vice Chief of the Indian Air Force (IAF), said the IAF revived the Myanmar route to reach the Andamans as it did not want to transport the helicopters on its Il-76 aircraft, which were being used to fly relief materials to the islands.

“We spoke to the Myanmar authorities, who allowed the journey in the backdrop of the natural calamity that struck the islands,” Malik said.

Bilateral relations between New Delhi and Yangon have been warming up in the last few years. In October, Myanmar’s military strongman Gen. Than Shwe ended a visit to India with a pledge that Yangon would not let Indian rebels operate from its soil. Shortly thereafter in December, Myanmar launched an operation against anti-India insurgent groups.

The IAF, however, has had to defer a training exercise with its frontline Su-30 and Jaguar aircraft from the Car Nicobar airbase following the Tsunami. “The exercise will take place some time later,” Malik said.