India will provide all help Nepal needs: Parrikar

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday said India will provide all the help Nepal needs.

"Whatever their requirement is, we will provide that... We are doing everything as per their requirement," Parrikar said in response to a question on India's relief and rescue efforts in Nepal on the sidelines of inaugural session of Controllers' Conference here.

Nepal was hit by a powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale on April 25, which has left over 5,000 dead and more than 10,000 injured.

On being asked about the plans to scale down air operations, Parrikar said: "It is the responsibility of the Indian Air Force (IAF) to meet Nepal's request and their requirement. They are in touch with the ministry of external affairs."

India jumped into action soon after the quake hit Nepal, with the IAF and army rushing with medical and engineering equipments, disaster relief teams, medicines, food and other relief materials.

The IAF has so far brought back over 3,000 people from the quake-hit country, undertaking around 48 fixed-wing sorties by C-17 Globemaster III, IL-76, C130J Super Hercules and AN-32 aircraft and carrying around 314.6 tonnes of relief materials and equipments to Nepal.

IAF helicopters and the army are also undertaking relief operations in Nepal, lifting relief materials and rescuing those trapped following the quake, along with the Nepalese Army.

The defence ministry on Thursday allowed British and Singapore military planes to refuel in India for relief operations in Nepal.