Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) In response to the severe floods that have struck parts of Jammu and Punjab, the Western Command of the Indian Army has been conducting extensive Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster
Relief (HADR) operations.
A total of 47 columns, including army aviation and Indian Air Force helicopter-based columns, have been activated along with formation engineers, medical and communication resources to provide immediate relief, an official statement said here on Sunday.
The aviation assets and IAF platforms were extensively deployed with twenty aircraft, including three Advanced Light Helicopters, ten reconnaissance and observation helicopters, six Mi-17 and one Chinook, pressed into service to ensure evacuation and supply of essential relief material.
Lieutenant General Manoj Kumar Katiyar, Army Commander, Western Command, visited the forward areas affected by the recent floods in Jammu and Punjab to review the ongoing HADR operations, the statement mentioned further.
He was briefed on the extensive rescue, relief and rehabilitation measures being undertaken by Army troops in close coordination with state administration, police, and civil authorities.
The army commander expressed satisfaction with the high level of preparedness, the swift deployment of columns, and the round-the-clock efforts in evacuating stranded civilians, providing medical aid, essential supplies, and restoring connectivity.
He also complimented the dedication and the good work done by all stakeholders, including the police and civil administration officials, appreciating the synergy displayed in mitigating the crisis.
The army's Western Command remains committed to providing all possible assistance to civil administration and the local population, with the singular aim of mitigating the impact of floods and restoring normalcy at the earliest, the statement added.
Punjab is under the grip of massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Villages worst-affected by the floods were in Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Fazilka, Kapurthala, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Hoshiarpur and Amritsar districts.
Relief and rescue operations by the army, NDRF, BSF, Punjab Police and district authorities continued on a war footing in the affected areas.
A multiple-agency operation has been underway in Jammu and Samba to rescue and rehabilitate the people whose properties were devastated in the floods. PTI SUN
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