MANGALURU: INS Talwar carrying 40 metric tonnes of medical oxygen landed at New Mangalore Port Trust (NMPT) on Wednesday. The medical oxygen was donated by the Bahrain government to the Indian Red Cross Society as a token of goodwill to overcome the current pandemic situation in the country.
A release from Vice Admiral MS Pawar, Deputy Chief of Naval Staff, said, “As a part of the ongoing national effort to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, the Indian Navy has launched Operation Samudra Setu II to bring in by sea the much-needed oxygen and associated medical supplies from friendly foreign countries. As many as nine warships have been diverted to various ports in the region extending from Kuwait in the West to Singapore in the East.”
Additionally, INS Airavat from Singapore and INS Kolkata from Kuwait are heading back home with liquid oxygen, oxygen filled cylinders, cryogenic tanks and other medical equipment.
While, three more warships are scheduled to pick up more supplies from Kuwait and Doha, the LPD INS Jalashwa, deployed in South East Asia, is ready to be diverted to ports in the region if the situation demands.
A release from NMPT said on arrival the vessel was given highest priority berthing in the Port at Berth No. 07. Dakshina Kannada district in-charge minister Kota Srinivas Poojary, MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, NMPT chairman Dr AV Ramana, Deputy Commissioner KV Rajendra and others were present on the occasion.
The liquid medical oxygen containers will be transported to the destinations decided by the state government. The Port extended all its resources for berthing of the vessel and handling of two oxygen containers free of cost as per the directives of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping & Waterways.