Kathmandu: Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary SA Jaishankar on Friday took stock of the situation in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Nepal and called for speedy distribution of relief material in some remote parts of the Himalayan nation where thousands of people are still deprived of food, medicines, tents and other essential items.
Doval and Jaishankar made aerial survey of some of the most devastated areas like Sindhupalchowk and Gorkha on Friday and said that search and rescue operations in remote areas should be given priorities. Doval, while praising the rescue operation and relief distribution, also suggested that rescue materials should reach the victims in time.
They also instructed the Indian teams operating in Nepal to carry out the rescue and relief operations in full swing in the quake-ravaged nation.
"We went for an aerial survey and there is a lot of destruction, but the rescue operations by Nepalese and Indian armies are being properly conducted," he said.
Indian agencies have launched "Operation Maitri", under which india is providing 280 tonnes of relief materials, including clean drinking water, milk, biscuits, noodles, essential medicines, tents, blankets, tarpaulin and plastic sheets.
In addition, two field hospitals, 18 army medical teams, 18 engineering teams, one IAF rapid action medical team, and excavator and earth moving equipment have been flown into Kathmandu and Pokhara in 28 sorties by C-17 Globe Master, IL-76 and C-130 aircraft. Indian states bordering Nepal have extended assistance in rescue and relief efforts through the land route.
Sixteen NDRF teams are working with the Nepalese security agencies and have saved 11 lives and retrieved 121 bodies from various places in Kathmandu, the Unesco World Heritage Sites of Patan, Bhaktapur and Swayambhu and historic Dharahara tower.
Three army medical teams have been deployed at Barpak village, the epicentre of the earthquake in the Gorkha district of Nepal. A 39-member Indian Army team currently at the Everest Base Camp has voluntarily remained there to assist people, including stranded tourists and climbers.
Indian helicopters have delivered 100 tonnes of relief material in various districts of Nepal, including Gorkha, Dhading, Nuwakot, Sindhupalchowk, Rasuwa and Ramechhap.
A team from Power Grid Corporation of India is jointly working with Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) in restoring power supplies in different parts of Nepal. They have jointly restored three sub-power stations in the Kathmandu Valley and are working to restore more.
