NEW DELHI, Sep 6: The Indian Air Force (IAF) has alerted all its bases to a high state of readiness and pressed into service men and material to rescue people from flood-hit areas in J&K and provide immediate relief to the affected.
During the past 48 hours, the IAF mounted IL-76 sorties and pressed into action two AN-32 aircraft to airlift NDRF teams and equipment from Bhatinda to Srinagar and Jammu Air Force Bases.
The Western Air Command has opened a disaster monitoring cell that is coordinating between all its bases including Srinagar, Udhampur, Jammu and Sarsawa apart from fixed wing effort from other bases.
A Defence spokesman here said bad weather in Srinagar hindered the relief operations by Helicopter. A total of six sorties by Mi-17 IV and Mi 17 V-5 were launched from AF Stn Jammu that evacuated 108 personnel, including three children.
Of these, 94 personnel were moved to safer areas and many of them were stranded on rooftops and marooned in floods. The IL-76 airlifted 32 tonnes of load and 162 NDRF personnel to Srinagar while two AN-32 carried 25 NDRF personnel and load of four tonnes to Air Force station Jammu.
The IAF has assigned aircraft at its bases at Agra, Chandigarh, Suratgarh and Sarsawa apart from those in J&K area for the relief operation. (UNI)
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