India tapering off military aircraft sorties to Nepal

NEW DELHI: India is tapering off its military transport aircraft sorties for rescue and relief missions after road routes have opened up in quake-hit Nepal. But the massive 'Operation Maitri', with the deployment of 12 helicopters, NDRF teams, Army medical and engineering taskforces, will continue in full swing in the Himalayan country.

Three flights each to Kathmandu and Pokhara from India, with food, medicines, blankets, tents, water and power equipment, were undertaken on Wednesday. "The first one of a C-130J Super Hercules, for instance, landed at the small airstrip at Pokhara with six tonnes of food and water. On Wednesday evening, a C-17 Globemaster-III and an IL-76 were awaiting clearance to fly to Nepal. As of now, no more flights are planned after that," said an official.

With relief pouring into Nepal from all over the world, the small Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu has become heavily congested over the last three days. After some Indian flights were forced to return from Kathmandu without landing, the IAF had even dispatched its director (transport) to Kathmandu and worked out a plan to send flights in "low density periods", as reported by TOI earlier.

Moreover, as foreign secretary S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, the "land route has become the primary route" now. The primary purpose behind the "air route" was to rush in supplies and rescue equipment after the earthquake hit Nepal on Saturday, which India certainly did.

With 48 to-and-fro sorties of its C-130J, C-17, IL-76 and AN-32 aircraft, the IAF has airlifted 315 tonnes of relief material and equipment to Nepal since Saturday. "They have also inducted 951 people into Nepal for relief work, which included doctors and paramedics for three Army field hospitals, one IAF rapid aeromedical team and a naval medical team. On their way back, they have carried 3,193 people," the official said.

The helicopters of IAF (8 Mi-17s) and Army (4 Dhruv advanced light helicopters), meanwhile, continue with their sorties within Nepal, operating mainly from Kathmandu and Pokhara. "Apart from airlifting relief supplies, the four Dhruvs have rescued over 110 people from Pokhara, while almost 1,000 have been ferried by the Mi-17s," he said.