Srinagar — In the past 48 hours Indian Air Force mounted IL-76 sorties and pressed into action two AN-32 aircraft to airlift National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams and equipment from Bhatinda to Srinagar and Jammu Air Force Bases.
The HQ Western Air Command has opened a disaster monitoring cell that is coordinating the efforts between all its bases including Srinagar, Udhampur, Jammu & Sarsawa apart from fixed wing effort from other bases. The IAF Command has alerted all its bases to a high state of readiness to respond to the emerging situation.
Today bad weather at Srinagar did not permit lauch of helicopter effort from there. Six sorties by Mi-17 IV and Mi 17 V-5 were launched from the Air Force station in Jammu, which evacuated 108 personnel from including 3 children of these 94 personnel were moved to safer areas. Many of them were stranded on rooftops, marooned in the floods.
The IL-76 airlifted 32 tonnes of load and 162 NDRF personnel to Srinagar, Where as two AN-32 carried 25 NDRF personnel and load of 4 Tonnes to AF Stn Jammu.
The IAF has assigned aircrafts at its bases at Agra, Chandigarh, Suratgarh and Sarsawa apart from those in J&K area for the relief operation.
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