DFRL ships five tonnes of food

While a massive relief operation is in place to rescue people stranded in Kashmir floods, the Defence Food Research Laboratory (DFRL), in the city, has already dispatched a consignment of ready-to-eat food.

According to Harsh Vardhan Batra, Director of DFRL, the staff at the laboratory were working day and night to ensure that a second batch of food is dispatched on Thursday.

Batra informed Deccan Herald that five tonnes of food - equivalent to about 35,000 meals - was dispatched to the Valley on Tuesday, along with two scientists. The food items were carried on two Indian Air Force aircraft, from Mysore Airport at Mandakalli.

The consignment consisted of nutri-bars, beetroot juice, four varieties of rice items, curries and other items prepared in quick time at the laboratory.

“The consignment reached Kashmir on Tuesday evening and was distributed on Wednesday. By tomorrow night, we will dispatch another four tonnes of food to Kashmir,” he added.

As the laboratory is not specialised for mass production, about 250 personnel at DFRL, including students and scientists, were working in shifts to ensure that enough food is prepared to contribute to the relief operations, Batra said.

He said DFRL started preparing food items to be shipped to Kashmir, following directions from their headquarters at the Defence Research and Development Organisation. “We are ready to dispatch more relief materials to the Kashmir Valley, if the need arises,” he added.