The Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs Shri Syed Akbaruddin told media persons in a media briefing in New Delhi today about Indian assistance being provided currently to Maldives. In Maldives there was a fire at the sole desalination plant last evening following which there is a major crisis in terms of availability of water in Male. India understands that this will take quite some time, about a week, to resolve the situation. Therefore, Maldivian government, last night contacted the Indian Government. The External Affairs Minister Smt. Sushma Swaraj did receive a call from her Maldivian counterpart late last night. She got clearances from the Prime Minister as well as other authorities in terms of ensuring that by this morning, at 07:30, the first Indian flight was air-borne to provide assistance to Maldives in terms of drinking water.
The Spokesperson said that we intend to have five flights today for the purpose. The first one was an IL 76. Total of five flights will carry 200 tonnes of drinking water today. He said, the first flight has arrived and the second may also be reaching shortly; and we will have three more flights scheduled for the day. Similarly, we will have another five flights tomorrow. So, there will be ten flights of drinking water to be carried. We've also made arrangements for two ships to move to Maldives. The INS Sukanya, which was in Colombo, has set sail for Maldives and it would be reaching there late tonight. It has two reverse osmosis plants which can, in a day, function for about 200 tonnes of water. Also, we've requested another Indian ship that is INS Deepak which will leave tomorrow and will reach Male day after tomorrow. That way, India has mounted an enormous effort in our assistance to provide a member of the SAARC and a close partner of India in its hour of need.
YSK
The Spokesperson said that we intend to have five flights today for the purpose. The first one was an IL 76. Total of five flights will carry 200 tonnes of drinking water today. He said, the first flight has arrived and the second may also be reaching shortly; and we will have three more flights scheduled for the day. Similarly, we will have another five flights tomorrow. So, there will be ten flights of drinking water to be carried. We've also made arrangements for two ships to move to Maldives. The INS Sukanya, which was in Colombo, has set sail for Maldives and it would be reaching there late tonight. It has two reverse osmosis plants which can, in a day, function for about 200 tonnes of water. Also, we've requested another Indian ship that is INS Deepak which will leave tomorrow and will reach Male day after tomorrow. That way, India has mounted an enormous effort in our assistance to provide a member of the SAARC and a close partner of India in its hour of need.
YSK
