Visakhapatnam: Naval ships, aircraft gear up to take up relief operations

Visakhapatnam: The low-pressure area in the North Andaman sea is likely to intensify as Cyclonic Storm 'Yaas' during the next 24 hours over the Bay of Bengal and move in North Westerly direction and likely to cross the coast between North Odisha and West Bengal on May 26.

Extending support in the hour of need, Indian Navy is closely monitoring the movement of the cyclonic storm.

Headquarters, Eastern Naval Command, and Naval Officers-in-Charge in West Bengal and Odisha area have carried out preparatory activities to combat the effects of cyclone 'Yaas' and are in constant liaison with the State administration for rendering assistance. In connection with this, eight flood relief teams and four diving teams are prepositioned in Odisha and West Bengal to augment the existing resources. Four naval ships are on standby with Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) bricks, diving, and medical teams to render assistance in the most affected areas along the Odisha and West Bengal coasts.

Naval aircrafts are kept ready at naval air stations, INS Dega in Visakhapatnam and INS Rajali near Chennai to undertake aerial survey of the most affected areas, casualty evacuation, and airdrop of relief material, depending on the requirement.