IAF carrying out sorties in Arunachal Pradesh

The Indian Air Force is carrying out sorties in flood ravaged Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh, which is cut off from the rest of the state, and has started dropping rations for people facing a food crisis.

IAF sources said a MI-17 chopper has been engaged for airlifting of essential items stocked at FCI depot at Tezu in Lohit district for the past few days but inclement weather was impeding work.

"We will try to drop maximum material during the air sorties if the weather improves to ease the food crisis in the district," the sources added.

So far, 19,400 kg of PDS rice had been airlifted from Tezu and out of it 14,600 kg of was dropped at Hayuliang and 4800 kg at Hawai.

District food and civil sorties officer N Darin said seven out of the total 32 sorties approved by the government for the calamity-hit district have been carried out so far. In a single sortie 55 to 60 bags of rice have been airlifted and then dropped in Anjaw.

The floods, which took place several weeks ago, have left behind a trail of devastation, washing away vast stretches of roads, bridges and culverts besides damaging houses and destroying standing crops in the district that borders China.

It may take more than two months to restore surface communication there, official sources said.