Armed Forces On Standby For Cyclone Hudhud

The Indian Armed Forces are fully geared to face the likely effects of the approaching Cyclone Hudhud, which is reaching the shores of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh slowly.

The Army has kept its Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka and Kerala area Headquarters and the Air Defence College in standby mode to undertake relief and rescue operations as and when required.

The Indian Navy has also positioned its assets and personnel in Chilka and Vishakhapatnam of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh respectively, for possible relief and rescue operations, which will be coordinated by the Naval Officer-in-Charge Odisha and the Naval Officer-in-Charge Andhra Pradesh respectively.

The Navy has kept 30 diving teams with Gemini Craft and associated equipment, 20 rescue teams, 4 ships with Disaster Bricks and medical stores, 4 helicopters and 2 fixed winged aircraft, and a number of medical teams ready at Vishakhapatnam.

The Indian Air Force is also gearing itself up to undertake relief, rescue and rehabilitation operations as and when required.

To bolster the transportation efforts, the IAF has kept one IL-76, one C-17 and two AN-32 aircraft ready at Chandigarh, Delhi and Jorhat respectively.

It has also kept in standby mode, three Chetaks at Hyderabad, two Medium Light Helicopters at Barrackpore, and two Medium Light Helicopters at Nagpur and Ranchi.

The Indian Coast Guard has also deployed 17 ships, 2 Air Cushion Vessels (ACVs) and 9 aircraft in the Eastern and North-Eastern regions to augment the rescue and relief operations, wherever required.

Of these, 6 ships and 5 aircrafts have been stationed at Chennai, 6 ships at Kakinada, 3 at Vishakhapatnam, 4 at Paradip, and 1 ship, 2 ACVs and 4 aircrafts at Haldia.

The movement of the cyclonic storm Hudhud are being continuously monitored, and the Armed Forces have been kept in the loop in this regard on a regular basis. (INN)