NE NEWS SERVICE
KOCHI, MAY 10
INS Jalashwa, deployed for “Operation Samudra Setu”, carrying 698 repatriated Indian citizens from the Maldives arrived in Kochi harbour on Sunday morning at 10 hours, completing the Indian Navy’s first massive evacuation exercise from foreign soil during the COVID-19 lockdown, official sources said.
#SamudraSetuMission #MoDAgainstCorona #bringhomeexpats
As #Kochi eagerly awaits their arrival, #INSJalashwa @indiannavy entering the scenic Ernakulam channel with 698 Indians from Maldives.@SpokespersonMoD @rajnathsingh @MOS_MEA @HCIMaldives @mygovindia pic.twitter.com/kk5rZyWMwf— PRO Defence Kochi (@DefencePROkochi) May 10, 2020
All necessary measures were taken by the respective teams to ensure safe embarkation with minimal social contact. Adequate care was also taken to cater to the old aged people, pregnant ladies and children in arms during the trip. All the passengers were handled by trained Indian Navy personnel donning Personal Protective Equipment.
The evacuation operation was conducted following all Standard Operating Procedures(SOP) and guidelines issued by the Government of India.
The passengers were received, by the naval and civil administration authorities present at the Cruise Terminal of Cochin Port Trust, where the ship has berthed. Extensive arrangements have been put in place by the State Government for speedy completion of CoViD screening and immigration formalities at the Cruise Terminal. Glassed counters have been set up at the terminal following medical protocol for Customs, Immigration, Police, Health Department, BSNL, and District Administration. Also, baggage trolleys for the passengers were arranged from Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), all aimed at facilitating speedy disembarkation, segregation, and completion of all health and medical formalities in an efficient manner.
Op #SamudraSetu. @DefenceMinIndia@SpokespersonMoD@indiannavy@DefencePROkochi
Expats from the Maldives disembarking from #INSJalashwa at Kochi harbour evacuated as part of Phase I of Operation Samudra Setu pic.twitter.com/Kdga59bzWa— Defence PRO AP Visakhapatnam (@PRO_Vizag) May 10, 2020
Inspector-General of Police Vijay Sakhare said all arrangements are in place to facilitate the safe stay of those repatriated, comprising 440 Keralites and people from other parts of the country.
#SamudraSetuMission #MoDAgainstCorona #bringhomeexpats #harkamdeshkenam says the proud #INSJalashwa @indiannavy as it berths at the cruise terminal, #Kochi with the indiannavy diaspora even as the Port auth get ready to welcome them fully prepared.@cochinporttrust@CMOKerala pic.twitter.com/fYuOmmAB7S
— PRO Defence Kochi (@DefencePROkochi) May 10, 2020
Four passengers are from Lakshwadeep.
Besides these, the other passengers are from Tamil Nadu (187), Telangana (9), Andhra Pradesh (8), Karnataka (8), Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan (3 each) and Goa (1), Assam (1).
There are seven passengers each from Uttarakhand and West Bengal, Delhi (4), Puducherry (3), while there are two passengers each from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand, the sources said.