India’s fight against the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has been marked by numerous efforts to ensure the health and safety of its citizens. One such commendable initiative by the Indian Navy has been in the news recently — Operation Samudra Setu-II. This operation aims to bring much-needed Oxygen-filled containers to India from various countries.
About Operation Samudra Setu-II
Launched by the Indian Navy, Operation Samudra Setu-II has deployed seven naval ships namely Kolkata, Kochi, Talwar, Tabar, Trikand, Jalashwa, and Airavat for the shipment of liquid medical oxygen-filled cryogenic containers and associated medical equipment from different countries. This move is an effort to mitigate the acute oxygen shortage facing the nation amid the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Specifically, two ships, the INS Kolkata and INS Talwar, have entered the Port of Manama, Bahrain, with the aim of bringing back 40 tonnes of liquid oxygen to Mumbai. Meanwhile, other ships like the INS Jalashwa are enroute to Bangkok while the INS Airavat is heading to Singapore, committed to similar missions to bring back essential oxygen supplies.
First Phase of Operation Samudra Setu
Operation Samudra Setu-II is a successor to the original Operation Samudra Setu launched in May 2020. The first operation was initiated as a part of the national effort to repatriate Indian citizens who were stranded overseas during the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic. This successful operation was carried out alongside the Vande Bharat Mission (VBM), the largest civilian evacuation exercise to bring back Indian citizens trapped abroad due to sudden travel restrictions imposed worldwide to curb the pandemic.
The scale of the VBM surpassed even the extensive airlift of 177,000 people conducted in 1990 at the onset of the Gulf War. Four Indian Naval Ships—Jalashwa, Airavat, Shardul, and Magar—played a significant role in this operation, enabling the safe return of around 4000 Indian citizens stranded in neighboring countries back to India.
Indian Navy’s Historical Evacuation Operations
The Indian Navy has a history of undertaking similar evacuation operations on previous occasions too. Notable among them are Operation Sukoon carried out in 2006 in Beirut and Operation Rahat conducted in 2015 in Yemen. Both operations were hailed for their efficiency and timeliness.
The recent initiative, Operation Samudra Setu-II, underscores the commitment of the Indian Navy to safeguard the health and well-being of the nation’s citizens. In these challenging times, endeavors such as these showcase the relentless efforts of our armed forces to ensure that no stone is left unturned in the collective fight against the pandemic.
Sources: Press Information Bureau (PIB)
