By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 6: The Indian Air Force (IAF) and its eastern arm, the Eastern Air Command (EAC) on several occasions, emerged as first responders during disasters such as floods, earthquakes and landslides.
Owing to the rough terrain of the Northeast and the frequency of disasters, the IAF aircrafts are also regularly deployed to assist civil administration regular transit for citizens residing in remote areas and for casualty evacuation.
The IAF, which turns 91 this year, has been well involved in war and peace, defending the country’s borders whilst helping citizens in times of humanitarian crisis.
The IAF, during the previous year’s disastrous floods in May-June 2022, undertook immediate and large-scale Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission to airlift people from flood-affected regions in Assam and Meghalaya as well as rescue passengers from stranded railway stations in Assam. HADR operation was launched on May 15, 2022, and the IAF flew more than 100 sorties in the next few days, airlifting the relief material from Guwahati and Johrat to Silchar.
The supplies were thereafter airlifted by Mi-17s and Chinook helicopters initially to Haflong and in later days to villages affected by floods viz Khepre, Hajadisha, Laisong, Harangajao and Hajaichak.
IAF had airlifted more than 300 passengers & dropped/carried 5 lakh kg of relief material for Assam and 21,000 kg for Meghalaya.
A total of 474 people were rescued from inhospitable areas and brought to safety while nearly 75000 kg of relief supplies including food items and diesel were air supplied to far flung villages, providing much-needed immediate relief to the affected people.
An aerial reconnaissance of power lines by helicopter was also undertaken to ensure quick assessment and restoration of power supply to affected areas. In October last year, ‘Cyclone Sitrang’ was headed towards Northeast India, Tripura in particular. IAF airlifted five NDRF teams with 24 tonne of specialised HADR equipment to Agartalain C130J ‘SuperHercules’ aircraft through the night amidst heavy rains.
The Eastern Air Command (EAC), the eastern arm of IAF, controls air operations over a vast area that straddles 12 states, with the present Air Officer Commanding In-Chief being Air Marshal SP Dharkar.
Air Marshal SP Dharkar exhorted the Air Warriors to make the best use of the resources and to continue to work towards taking the IAF and the nation to greater heights and the EAC’s motto, ‘Touch the sky with glory’.