MALE, May 8:
India on Friday began evacuating over 700 of its citizens by sea from the Maldives who were stranded in the scenic island due to the COVID-19 linked international travel restrictions.
The INS Jalashwa, the Indian Navy’s amphibious warship, reached Male on Thursday to undertake the massive repatriation mission named ‘Operation Samudra Setu’, the High Commission of India in Maldives said.
The first Naval ship from Male is expected to arrive at the Cochin Port on May 10, Port Trust officials in Kochi said.
The INS Jalashwa is part of the repatriation mission launched by the Indian Navy to bring Indian citizens home from foreign shores, the Indian Navy said in a statement.
“It is a very great thing that the High Commission did for us and we did not have any issues till now. We got everything with proper guidelines, all the things done by the High Commission,” Pradeep, who hails from Palakkad, said. He works in a resort in Male. “Jamsheed from Kerala thanks Govt of India, Govt of Kerala & @indiannavy for this historic Operation to repatriate #Indian nationals from the #Maldives,” the High Commission of India in Maldives tweeted.
The INS Jalashwa is properly equipped with relief materials, COVID-19 protection gear along with medical and administrative support staff, it noted.
The INS Magar, an amphibious warfare vessel of the Indian Navy, will also join the repatriation mission in Male as part of the efforts to bring back around 1,000 stranded Indian nationals to the Kochi port in Kerala over the next few days.
Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, India is conducting its biggest ever repatriation exercise named Vande Bharat Mission to bring back stranded Indians from abroad, including from the US, the UAE, the UK. The High Commission in Male on its Facebook page said, MVR 600 or an equivalent amount of USD 40 will be charged as the Evacuation Services Charge from each person listed for repatriation by INS Jalashwa. (PTI)
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