Indian Navy's frontline Delhi-class destroyer INS Mysore has sailed from Mumbai to flood-hit Kerala carrying relief material.
The massive warship has been loaded with relief material in Mumbai and departed as soon as the loading was completed, said a Navy spokesperson. This would be the second warship to reach Kerala with relief material after fleet tanker INS Deepak reached Kochi on Sunday.
The ship is carrying about 70 tonnes of relief material which includes 30 tonnes of Bottled Water, 1000 Ready to eat meals, 10 tonnes of fresh ration, 5 tonnes of milk, 5.5 tonnes biscuits and other miscellaneous stores like medicines, and essential toiletries, phenyl, gash bags, bleaching powder, candles, etc. The relief material also includes items received from some NGOs in Mumbai, said the Navy sources.
The ship is also carrying one Chetak helicopter for augmenting air effort of Southern Naval Command. A second ship, INS Mumbai is also being prepared with relief material and would depart for Kochi by AM 20 Aug.
The Western Naval Command's Karwar Naval Base also sent approximately 15 tonnes of fresh rations on Indian Naval Ship Sharda on 19 Aug.
Nearly 23,000 people have been rescued by the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, out of which Navy teams rescued more than 12,000 individuals stranded in flood hit districts in the southern state. Armed forces and NDRF are present in each of the district continuing with the rescue and providing relief.
Meanwhile, all terminal security equipment including baggage scanners has been installed at the naval station INS Garuda at Kochi, which will start operating civil flights from Monday.
Certified screening staff and CISF personnel to reach the naval station, which will function as the make-shift airport in the absence of a civilian airport in Kochi that was badly damaged by the flood.
