The Navy on Monday morning launched a P8-I long range maritime reconnaissance aircraft from INS Rajali at Arakkonam morning to gauge the magnitude of damage caused by the cyclone Hudhud in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.
A Dornier aircraft got airborne from the restored runway of INS Dega in Vizag to join in the effort. Naval assets would be deployed for rescue and relief operations on the basis of the assessment, said a Navy spokesperson.
The rescue and relief efforts would be led by the Navy under ‘Operation Lehar’.
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Naval personnel at Vizag were working to get the naval base back to being operational. Damage to the Naval Dockyard was minimal thanks to proactive and preventive measures undertaken ahead of the cyclone. The airfield at INS Dega was flooded and damage was reported to almost all structures. Naval aircraft, however, remained unharmed, said an official.
The Navy was able to get the two runways at naval air station Dega fit to conduct flying operations on Monday morning itself. Almost all roads in the naval area remained blocked with uprooted trees lying all over. Power supply to the base, disrupted owing to damage to transmission lines, was yet to be restored. Only the Maritime Operations Centre in Vizag had a communication link with Delhi, as BSNL lines, naval satellite Rukmani and INMARSAT were all down.
While a relative calm prevailed over Vizag, occasional rainfall with winds gusting up to 30 to 40 kmph was expected till midnight on Monday, he said.
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Warships INS Ranjit, INS Shivalik, INS Shakti and INS Airawat were ready to sail with relief material for 5,000 personnel, as four ships remained on standby.
Some 24 diving teams are already carrying out relief operations in and around Vizag.