Navy scales down operations further after flood water recedes

The Navy today said it is presently involved in air dropping relief material such as food and has scaled down operations further in view of flood waters receding from many waterlogged areas to manageable levels.

The Southern Naval Command (SNC) said no requests for rescue, either by boat or airlift were received and so it has recalled 30 teams deployed for rescue operations.

"The total number of diving teams deployed has now been reduced to 21, with 30 teams having returned after completing their rescue mission", an SNC release said here.

The SNC, which announced scaling down of the operation yesterday, said a total of16,005 persons were rescued.

It said eight sorties,amounting to 10 hours of flying,were undertaken by various naval aircraft, mainly for air dropping relief material especially food and medicines.

All SNC rescue teams are being used by district administrations for transferring relief material and medicines and to provide assurance of presence.

On a request from Kerala Water Authority for help to rectify defectivetransformers at Aluva water pumping station, an engineeringteam from Naval Ship Repair Yard were sent there to repair transformers on a war footing, it said.

The services of thesetransformers are critical to feed power to restore water supply to most of Kochi region.

The Naval Air Station, Garuda continued facilitating civil aircraft operations in addition to military flying requirements.

Alliance Air (a subsidiary of Air India) and Indigo operated as per their schedules, the release said.

The Air Station is also extensively utilised to airlift medical teams, food and medicines to facilitate the State Government in speeding up the relief work, the release said.