Indian ships Jalashwa (above), Airavat, Shardul and Magar participated in this operation: Marine
New Delhi:
The Indian Navy announced on Wednesday that it had completed Operation Samudra Setu, which began on May 5, bringing nearly 4,000 Indians from three countries back to the middle of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The Indian ships Jalashwa (Landing Platform Dock), and Airavat, Shardul and Magar (Landing Ship Tanks) participated in this operation which lasted more than 55 days and involved traveling more than 23,000 kilometers by sea,” said the Navy in a press release.
While five repatriation trips were made by boat to Male in the Maldives, two to Bandar Abbas in Iran and one to Colombo in Sri Lanka as part of this operation.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on ships and sailors due to the compact environment and forced ventilation systems on board ships,” the statement said.
The biggest challenge for the Indian navy was to avoid any outbreak of infection on board ships during the evacuation operation, he noted.
Rigorous measures have been planned and medical and safety protocols specific to the ship’s operating environment have been implemented, he said.
“These were strictly followed on board the ships embarking on Op Samudra Setu, which allowed the safe return of 3,992 of our citizens to their homeland,” he said.
The ships used for the operation were specially supplied and Sick’s Bay or the clinic on board were specially equipped with equipment and facilities related to COVID-19, the statement said.
This operation was undertaken by the Indian Navy in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health and various other agencies of the Indian and state governments.
