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Navy & Army: The peacetime warriors of Kutch

Archana Masih in Bombay

The Indian naval ship INS Ganga, that returned to Mumbai on January 31 from Kandla port carrying 13 injured victims of the killer earthquake, sailed back to Kutch on the night of February 1. The ship's passage time is estimated to be between 26 to 30 hours.

"INS Ganga is carrying 22 tonnes of dry food provisions, which include 2 tonnes of biscuits, 7,000 litres of mineral water, two truck loads of tents, 15,000 kgs of warm clothing, 4 fork-clips and milk powder," says Defence Spokesman Commander R Madhusudanan.

INS Ganga had first sailed to Kandla on the morning of Sunday, January 28, with 300 crew and twenty tonnes of relief supplies sent by the Indian Navy. The supplies included dry provisions, tents and medical supplies. Another ship INS Himgiri, left Mumbai on Sunday night with 28 tonnes of supplies sent by the Maharashtra government.

The injured have been shifted to the naval hospital, INHS Ashwini.

"Although the ship's crew always includes a small medical team," says Commander Madhusudanan, "Eleven naval doctors left on January 27 and another 70 (which includes civilian doctors) left by air on the 28th."

INS Nirdeshika and INS Jamuna have been docked at Kandla port and function as hospitals since January 27.

Meanwhile, the relief operation by the Indian Army in Kutch is being conducted by General Officer Commanding, Southern Command Lt General N C Vij. A major general each is stationed in Bhuj and Ahmedabad.

The Army has mobilised 6 Infantry battalions, 6 Engineering regiments, 1 Artillery regiment, 1 Air Defence regiment and 7 Mobile Field Hospitals.

According to Commander Madhusudanan, up till January 31, the Army Medical Corps had conducted 10,200 surgeries -- 1,600 major and 1,800 Plaster of Paris jobs. It has shifted 442 patients to military hospitals in Jamnagar and Pune and has rescued 419 survivors from under the debris.

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