Gujarat: Flood victims to get food packets air-dropped

Food packets will be dropped by Indian Air Force helicopters in flood-affected areas of central Gujarat, which were surveyed from the air on Tuesday by Chief Minister Narendra Modi and senior officials.

More than 5,000 food packets will be dropped in the worst affected villages of Malavada, Jethali, Bhali and Sindewada in Anand district, defence spokesman P K Singha told PTI in Ahmedabad.

The food packets have been sent to the Air Force base by the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority office, he said. Modi and GSDMA officials conducted an aerial survey of Anand and Baroda districts in a Chetak helicopter of the IAF.

Following the survey, the state government will decide whether there is a need for food packets to be dropped in other areas, government officials said. Three helicopters from the IAF's South Western Air Command have been kept on stand-by in Ahmedabad and Vadodara for flood relief operations, officials said.

The Mi-8 and Mi-17 heavy lift helicopters were stationed at airfields in both cities following a request from the GSDMA. Another Chetak helicopter has been kept on stand-by in Ahmedabad, officials said.