Ghaziabad, August 27: India has dispatched approximately 40 tons of humanitarian aid, medicines, and food packets to flood-ravaged Nepal from Hindon Airbase in Ghaziabad. Officials from the Indian Air Force overseeing the operation stated that they are always prepared for such relief efforts.
Just a day prior, India had sent 10 tons of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) materials along with essential medicines to Nepal following the sudden and devastating floods in the Himalayan nation.
Air Commodore Rajiv Doval, the Air Officer Commanding at Hindon Air Force Station, remarked, “We are always ready for such missions. We have been entrusted with this responsibility beforehand, and we all have experience in this area. We have done this multiple times, not just for Nepal but also for Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and even Venezuela. Therefore, we are always prepared. As soon as we received the information, we began our operations.”
Group Captain Jay Ganesh, the Chief Operating Officer, emphasized, “When it comes to HADR operations, I consider Hindon to be at the forefront. When the floods hit Nepal, we were informed that relief materials needed to be airlifted from our base. We are generally well-prepared for such emergencies, and our readiness is robust. The system at Hindon has been developed to handle such situations effectively. Thus, when we received the information in the afternoon, we had C-130 and C-17 aircraft on standby.”
He added, “To be the first to deliver aid, the C-130 aircraft took off around 8:30 PM on Wednesday.”
Meanwhile, Wing Commander Lagnjeet Naik, the aircraft commander, provided details about the second shipment. “On August 26, we received information regarding the Nepal HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) mission. We received NDRF supplies and medical supplies at night. It will take approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes to reach Nepal. We are carrying about 35 to 40 tons of supplies, including medical relief items, dignity kits, and other essentials for Nepal.”
He noted that low cloud cover in Nepal and local civil traffic conditions necessitated sufficient fuel on board, allowing the aircraft to wait in the air for about one to one and a half hours if they could not land on the first attempt.
He stated, “If delays are uncertain or prolonged, we have adequate diversion options in India. We have identified two bases where we can land, refuel, and proceed to Nepal as soon as clearance is granted.”
Wing Commander Naik explained that the aircraft is carrying only as much cargo as Kathmandu Airport can handle. Although the aircraft has a capacity of 70 tons, they are transporting 40 tons to ensure they can return within three to four hours and clear the Kathmandu airfield.
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