A herculean relief effort by armed forces

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 27. The armed forces have mounted a herculean relief effort for the victims of the earthquake, which has devastated Bhuj and caused extensive damage in Gujarat.

The Air Force is spearheading the airlifting of supplies, while the Army is providing the largest chunk of manpower to supervise distribution of relief. Signal units of the Army as well as its medical staff are working round the clock. The Navy has sent two relief ships, besides a survey ship to determine the safety of the quake-hit Kandla channel.

The Coast Guard, on its part, has already contained a minor oil slick close to Kandla.

The disaster has galvanised the IAF to mount its largest-ever relief effort, especially for the worst-affected Bhuj.

A large chunk of IAF's transport and helicopter fleet is now engaged in ferrying supplies. With a nodal command and control centre at Delhi, flights are being coordinated from the air bases in Delhi, Agra, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Pune and Chennai.

The Bhuj airfield has become the busiest in the country, with aircraft landing and taking off without a break.

Six giant IL-76 planes, 14 AN-32s and five Avro planes are already operating round the clock. Relief sent in include bulldozers, cranes, mobile kitchens, tentage, food, blankets, medical supplies, doctors and para-medic staff.

Besides, personnel of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), tents provided by the Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and generator sets have also been sent. A large quantity of tents were picked up from Chennai while bulldozers were loaded in an IL-76 from Vadodara.

The huge national effort has involved the use of the giant Mi-26 helicopters. Two of them have already lifted 50,000 blankets from Chandigarh and Amritsar.

Fifteen Mi-17 helicopters have also been engaged.

The casualties of the IAF personnel in Bhuj, meanwhile, are mounting and could touch the 150 mark. The Defence Minister, Mr. George Fernandes and the IAF Chief, Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis, personally supervised the relief activity in Bhuj today.

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