Visakhapatnam: Indian Navy on high alert for cyclone relief efforts

Visakhapatnam: As the depression over South Eastern Bay of Bengal, presently at about 1,000 km South of Paradip, is likely to intensify rapidly into a cyclonic storm in the next 12 hours and further into a severe cyclonic storm, the Eastern Naval Command (ENC) has assumed a high degree of preparedness to render necessary humanitarian assistance.

Indian naval ships at Visakhapatnam are standing-by to proceed to the most affected areas to undertake Humanitarian Aid Distress Relief (HADR), evacuation, logistic support including providing medical aid. These ships are embarked with additional divers, doctors, inflatable rubber boats and relief material that include food, clothes, medicines, blankets, etc, in adequate quantities. Additionally, twenty rescue teams with Gemini boats and medical teams are also kept ready for augmenting rescue and relief efforts in Odisha and West Bengal.

Naval aircraft are also standing by at the Naval Air Stations INS Dega at Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh and INS Rajali at Arakkonam, Tamil Nadu to undertake reconnaissance, rescue, and casualty evacuation, if required. ENC is monitoring the developments in the Bay of Bengal closely and Naval Officers-in-Charge (West Bengal) and (Odisha) are in constant communication with respective state administrations to augment rescue and relief operations as needed.