Inducted into Nepal within four hours of earthquake striking there on April 25 for rescue and relief efforts named ‘Operation Maitri’, Indian armed forces set a record of sorts in the month-long humanitarian assistance by evacuating more than 11,200 people, including 780 casualties besides airdropping 1,700 tonnes of relief material.
The operation came to end last week with last of the IAF helicopters returning to their respective bases in India along with personnel engaged in the mammoth effort round the clock. Accompanied by the Army helicopters, the two services flew 2,223 sorties and Rapid Action Medical Teams of Army and Navy doctors extended medical assistance to 4,762 injured, including 300 surgeries, 216 hospital admissions and 4,174 OPD cases.
Ordered to rush to Nepal by the Indian Government, IAF swung into action and routed one C-130J Hercules medium lift transport aircraft, two C-17 Globemaster giant transport aircraft and one Il-76 Gajraj transport plane, airlifting 295 National Disaster Relief (NDRF) personnel, 46.5 tonnes of load and five sniffer dogs. Besides these aircraft eight MI-17 medium lift helicopters were also deployed immediately.
lots of relief material for over a month were airlifted like water, field hospitals, blankets, tents, paramedics, stretchers, medicines, prepared food, milk, utensils, vegetables, Meals Ready to Eat (MRE), RO Plants, Oxygen Regenerators, Air Force Communication Centre Vehicles, Rapid Action Medical Team (RAMT) with its transportable Operation Theatre, X-ray, laboratory and patient beds.
large scale relief and rescue operations were carried out by Mi-17s from detachments at Pokhara and Kathmandu. These operations were carried out to far flung inaccessible areas at earthquake affected places that included lukla, Dhading, Millanchi, Gorkha, Chautara, Charikot, Melum, Aroghat, Dhunche, Trishuli, Ramechhap, Barpak, Narayan Chor, Namchi Bazar, Tatopani, lamabagar and other remote villages.
The Engineer Task Force (ETF) of the Indian Army cleared and constructed tracks in difficult and inaccessible areas to facilitate the relief work in Barpak, Gorkha and Kathmandu. The Army engineers cleared over 16 km of track, over 11,477 cubic meters of debris, helped to re-construct 55 houses and shelters and recovered several bodies.
The Army aviation pilots flew continuously to evacuate stranded and injured people, provided relief materials and inducted 567 Nepalese Army troops to reach inaccessible areas to carry out relief work. The Army provided 10,000 blankets, 1,000 tents and 1000 tarpaulin sheets.
The Army's Everest Expedition team, which was located at the Everest Base Camp when the earthquake struck, did yeoman service to rescue a number of mountaineers who were affected by an avalanche that was triggered due to the quake. They helped in recovering 18 dead bodies and the team doctor rendered critical medical aid to several mountaineers before they were evacuated by air.