OperationMaitriistherescueandreliefoperationinNepalbytheGovernmentofIndiaandIndian

ArmedForcesintheaftershockofthe2015Nepalearthquake.TheIndianArmyhasnamedtheaidto
Nepal'OperationMaitri'orfriendship,andstartedextendingitshelptotheneighbouringcountrywhich
washitbyamassiveearthquake.
India'sresponsestartedwithin15minutesofthequakeanditwasthefirstcountrytorespondtothe
catastrophe,bylaunchingthisfullfledgedrescueandreliefoperation.
Theoperationstartedon26April2015andhasinvolvedexservicemenfromtheGurkhaRegiments
forinterfaceforguidance,reliefandrescue.
Listedaresomeimportantfactsaboutthereliefmissionyoushoulddefinitelyknow:
TheIndianarmysuccessfullyevacuated170foreignnationalsfromtheU.S.,theU.K.,
RussiaandGermany
ThejointArmyAirForceoperationsofar,broughtover5,000IndiansbackfromNepalbyAir
Forceandcivilianplanes
StridingupeffortstohelprebuildNepal,Indiahadsentacollectivereliefmaterialof24tonnes
totheinteriorareas,DefenceSecretaryR.K.Mathursaid,"KathmanduandPokhrawouldbe
usedasbasesforhelicopterstoflytotheaffectedareas"
Indiahadsent18medicalteams(comprising20peopleeach),and12engineerteamsof
about60peopletotheneighbouringcountry.Whiletheengineerswerehelpingtoclearthe
rubblefromblockedroads,thepowerassessmentteamhadmanagedtorestoreelectricityin
majorareas
TheaircraftsIndianAirFoircemobilisedfortherescueoperationwere:
IlyushinIl76
C130JHercules
C17Globemastertransportaircraft
Mi17helicoptersforOperationMaitri.
UptoeightMi17helicoptersarebeingusedformissionssuchasairdroppingreliefmaterials.


RescueOperationMaitriinaTimeline:
April25,2015TenteamsfromIndia'sNationalDisasterResponseForce,totaling450personnel
andincludingseveralsearchandrescuedogs,arrivedinNepaltenadditionalIndianAirForceplanes
soondepartedtojointhemwithfurtheraid.
Intheimmediateaftermathofthequake,Indiasent43tonnesofreliefmaterial,includingtentsand
food.
April26,2015:OperationMaitristarted.TheIndianAirForceevacuatedover500citizensfromNepal
latenighttoearlymorning.
Tenflightswereplannedwhichairliftedteamsofdoctors,nurses,andparamedics,engineeringtask
forces,water,food,NationalDisasterResponseForceteams,medicalpersonnelandequipment,
blanketsandtents.
April27,2015:BythisdaytheIndianAirForcehadevacuated1935IndiancitizensfromNepalusing
12aircraftsorties.
18medicalteamsweredeployedtohelpinthereliefefforts.TheIndianArmywasintheprocessof
sending10engineertaskforceswithmachinerytoclearroadsanddebris.Thetroopshavetaken
withthemafurther10,000blanketsand1,000tentsareonstandby.TheIndianarmywasalso
broughtoxygencylindersfordistributiontomedicalteams.
SpainsoughtIndia'shelpinevacuatingitsnationalsfromNepal.IndianPrimeMinisterguaranteedthe
SpanishForeignMinisterthatIndiawillprovideallpossiblehelptoSpanishnationalsinNepal.

April28,2015:TheIndianAirForceandtheIndianArmyfannedouttoremoteareaswhilecontinuing
totransportessentialitemsfromvariousbasestoKathmanduandevacuatingdistressedpersonsto
India.A41membermedicalteam,alongwithmedicalsupplies,wassenttoNepalfromRajasthan.
TheSashastraSeemaBaldispatchedoverthreedozenvehicles,includingambulancesandwater
tankerstoNepalfromitsbordercamps.TheIndiangovernmentdispatched220tonnesoffood
packetsanddryrations,50tonnesofwater,2tonnesofmedicines,40tentsand1,400blanketsto
Nepal.