Ajay Raina
SRINAGAR, Sept 12: Carrying bags and some other belongings, thousands of people from the State have thronged the area outside the IAF base here in anticipation of being airlifted out of the flood-ravaged Kashmir valley.
Some of them are lucky to find a place on IAF planes but many keep waiting and security forces are having a tough time in controlling them.
And their number just keeps increasing, with people walking miles to reach the airport where the IAF is running scores of sorties, including by the strategic heavy lift C-17 Globemaster III aircraft along with the C-130J Super Hercules transport aircraft.
Group Captain Geralad Galwry, Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Indian Air Force told the Excelsior at Srinagar base camp of the IAF that the Air Force was working day and night to provide relief to the people and airlift the trapped persons.
“We are on the job. We are doing our best to reach out to maximum people with relief and rescue the people, who were still trapped in the floods,” he said.
Mohd Irshad, who hails from Muzaffarnagar, is one of the persons waiting for rescue at the IAF base camp.
He along with 10 others from his district came to Kashmir nearly a month back to sell electronic items like watches. They were staying in Habba Kadal, a downtown area of Srinagar.
“After flooding started, we left the place and moved to other places in search of safety. Then we heard that IAF is airlifting people out of the Valley and so we came to the airport,” he says as he awaits his chance.
His associate Ishrat Ali adds, “We were told that Army is evacuating people for free. But they are refusing to take us.
When asked who told them that they would be evacuated for free, he had no answer.
Rabbani, a mason from Kishanganj district of West Bengal, is also among those aspiring to be evacuated. He has 11 other associates.
A first-timer in Kashmir, he was working at construction site in Peer Bagh area when floods occurred.
Thousands of others like him are waiting outside the airbase for an opportunity to be flown out.
Having flocked the area, they are provided food there itself.
In the process, garbage dumps have come up in the area.
IAF officials said all the assets possible including the Antonov-32 and Avro transport aircraft along with the fleet of helicopters including world’s largest chopper Mi-26 have been pressed into action for airlifting people.
Carrying out their evacuation spree, several hundred marooned people were flown out of flood-ravaged Jammu and Kashmir today, as Air India mounted 21 flights between Jammu, Srinagar and Leh to carry military personnel for aiding rescue and relief operations.
Private airlines, including Jet Airways, IndiGo and SpiceJet, too flew to Delhi a large number of passengers, as these carriers and Air India rushed hundreds of tonnes of relief materials to the northern state.
According to latest official figures, the number of stranded passengers airlifted by all airlines to Delhi has risen to over 5,000 in the past four days.
Air India operated three flights carrying 336 passengers free of charge, taking the total number of evacuees to 1,346. Besides, it flew 21 sorties to transport military personnel free of charge to Srinagar and Leh to carry out rescue and relief activities.
To facilitate the carriage of relief material to Srinagar by various State Governments and NGOs through Delhi, Air India also opened a dedicated round-the-clock control desk at its Cargo Terminal at IGI Airport here.
NGOs and State Governments who want to send such materials to Jammu and Kashmir could call Air India numbers 011- 25652635, +918826294660 and +918826294661. Air India has so far flown 44 tons of relief material to Srinagar.
The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has also established night-shelter facilities at Srinagar, Jammu and Leh airports, apart from various other facilities.
It has also ensured full functionality of aids at the Airports including Instrument Landing System on 24 hours basis to cater to commercial as well as relief flights.
AAI was also maintaining effective coordination with other agencies involved in the relief work like the Airforce, CRPF, local police and the airlines for smooth flight operations.
Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited has deployed four choppers and kept five more of them ready for deployment in emergent situation, a Civil Aviation Ministry official said here.
Jet Airways will also operate an additional flight to Leh tomorrow to bring back stranded people.
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