Indian Navy’s INS Airavat reaches Visakhapatnam with medical supplies

Indian Navy’s INS Airavat, a part of ‘Operation Samudra Setu – II’, carrying oxygen and other medical equipment from abroad, reached Visakhapatnam on Monday, 10 May 2021. The container departed from Singapore for Vizag on 5 May. These efforts are being made to mitigate the shortage of medical oxygen while India is witnessing a sharp explosion in Covid-19 cases.

INS Airavat will be bringing Cryogenic oxygen tanks and other critical Covid medical stores including oxygen cylinders from Singapore. On 2 May 2021, Indian Navy’s warship, INS Airavat reached Changi Naval Base in Singapore. The following three days were utilised in onboarding the emergency relief material.

On 5 May 2021, INS Airavat left for Visakhapatnam with a consignment that consisted of more than 3,600 oxygen cylinders, eight 27 ton (216 tons) of oxygen tanks, 10,000 Rapid Antigen Detection Test Kits, 7 concentrators and 8 ISO Cryogenic Oxygen tanks, which are a part of a commercial deal involving Tata Group, ITC and Linde Gas Ltd.

INS Airavat is one of nine ships that have been deployed by the Navy for COVID relief through shipment of Liquid Medical Oxygen and associated medical equipment from friendly foreign countries in the Persian Gulf and southeast Asia.

This nine warship consignment operation is a result of the contributions of the IIT alumni association in Singapore. Various other organisations like Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI), Global, Wilhelmsen Ships Services, Dupont Sustainable Solutions, Global Indian International School of Singapore, DBS Bank, SEA Group, Wilmar International and Galaxy Container Services Pvt Ltd have also extended their hand. While these attempts of bringing life-saving equipment were being made, Adani Global Pvt Ltd, the SICCI and the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) are jointly raising financial aid and logistics.

The High Commission of India thanked the Indian Community members and well-wishers of India in Singapore for their tremendous efforts in helping out India in these unprecedented circumstances.

Last year, the Indian Navy had launched a similar operation to bring back approximately 4,000 stranded and distressed Indian citizens from the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Iran. The operation was called ‘Operation Samudra Setu’ and it was part of the Vande Bharat Mission.