KOCHI: Southern Naval Command Flag Officer-Commanding-in-Chief Vice-Admiral A R Karve has said that the Navy was fully equipped to meet any exigencies in the wake of the strengthening of the cyclone Ockhi and as it approached Lakshadweep. Addressing a press conference on INS Tir at the Southern Naval Command on Friday, the FOC-in-C said that two ships had already been dispatched to the islands with rescue boats, drinking water, kits to purify water, blankets, food articles and medicine.
He also said that on Thursday, five Navy ships were deployed on the Kerala coast for search and rescue operations apart from Dornier aircraft and Sea King helicopters. They were still in action. Vice-Admiral Karve also said that the sea had been very rough with waves that were very high and were hampering rescue operations especially on Thursday off Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam coast. Despite all this, the Navy undertook the mission. He also said that the Navy was fully ready to meet requirements in the coming days also and that the Lakshadweep administration had been informed of its readiness.
Vice-Admiral Karve also said that the Navy instantly responded to the request for help in rescue operations from the State Government and undertook it with the Coastal police and Coast Guard. He added that the State Government and its agencies had to inform them where the missing fishermen were. He parried a question whether the State Government was late in informing the Navy of the crisis.
