INS Airavat, deployed by the Indian Navy for “Operation Samudra Setu”, entered Tuticorin harbour early morning today, 23 Jun 2020 with 198 Indian nationals embarked from Male, Maldives. Thus far the Indian Navy has brought back 2386 Indian citizens from the Maldives to India.
The embarkation of Indian nationals was facilitated by the Indian Mission in the Maldives. Personnel were embarked onboard after carrying out requisite medical screening. COVID related safety protocols were also strictly adhered to during the sea-passage.
The evacuees were received by local authorities at Tuticorin and arrangements were in place for speedy disembarkation, health screening, immigration and transportation of the evacuees.
With this evacuation, the Indian Navy has repatriated 3305 Indian nationals from Maldives, Sri Lanka and Iran during the ongoing pandemic.
In the first week of June, Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa, which reached Male, the Maldives on 4 June for her third trip under Op Samudra Setu, successfully brought back almost 2700 Indian citizens from the Maldives and Sri Lanka to Indian shores under the broader umbrella of the Indian Government’s Mission Vande Bharat.
Later, in the next phase of Operation Samudra Setu, Indian Naval Ship Shardul evacuated Indian citizens from the port of Bandar Abbas, Islamic Republic of Iran, to Porbandar, Gujarat.
Indian Naval ships Jalashwa and Magar have already evacuated 2874 personnel from the Maldives and Sri Lanka to ports of Kochi and Tuticorin.
On 5 May, Indian Navy had launched Operation “Samudra Setu” – meaning “Sea Bridge”, as a part of the national effort to repatriate stranded Indian citizens from overseas.
The Indian Navy had made suitable preparations to undertake the evacuation by the sea in close coordination with the Ministry of Defence, External Affairs, Home Affairs, Health and various other agencies of the Government of India and State governments.