Army, IAF teams head for coastal areas in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh

ALLAHABAD: Army and air force personnel from Allahabad and various other airbase and army divisions have been rushed to coastal areas of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh to assist rescue teams in wake of Cyclone Phailin.
Detailing the movement, defence public relation officer, Group Captain B B Pande said that nine engineers of the Red Eagle Division have departed from Allahabad.The enforcement included 60 troops, two officers, three heavy vehicles, one ambulance, two motorised boats along with other equipments. They were airlifted by C-17 Globe Master to Bhubaneswar. The engineering column, comprising medical and signal entities has been deployed from Bhubaneswar to Gopalpur in Ganjam district
He further said that the IAF's latest strategic transport aircraft, the C-17 Globe Master undertook its first sortie towards transporting relief materials, including specialist army vehicles and ambulance, from bases in central India to Bhubaneswar, ahead of Cyclone Phailin striking the coastal areas on Saturday evening.
The overall rescue and relief operations were being coordinated by GOC Madhya Bharat, Lt Gen Ramesh Rana. Lt Gen Rana has already held several meetings with Odisha chief minister, chief secretary and relief commissioner. Gen Rana said that the army would synergise efforts of NDRF, ODRAF, Army and work in cooperation with them. While some columns were already on the move, columns from the Eastern and Central Commands were put on stand by. The task for the army includes evacuating people from affected areas in the aftermath of the cyclone, including shifting them from their kutcha dwellings, open physical lines of communication including roads, telephone lines, electricity and water supply. The C-17 airlifted 60 troops and rescue and medical material, including heavy vehicles and ambulance from Allahabad, before landing at Bhubaneswar around 8.15 am on Saturday. Additionally, the IAF has already started transporting NDRF personnel and other heavy relief equipments by by IL-76s and AN-32 from various bases across the country.The IAF has also kept in readiness two C-130J Super Hercules for rescue and relief efforts.
Mi-17 V5 helicopters are also on stand by in Barrackpore, near Kolkata, ready to fly to Odisha for rescue and relief activities as and when required.