Samudra Setu II sees two Naval ships deliver medical aid at NMPT

New Mangalore Port Trust was back in action - this time on May 11 - handling two Navy vessels - INS Kochi and INS Tabar respectively. These two warships are the third and fourth naval vessels to call on the port since INS Talwar docked at the port as part of Samudra Setu II ops that the Indian Navy is running to rush home critical medical aid given to India by its friends in the Middle East on May 5. INS Kolkata had docked at the port on May 10 to bring home similar medical aid.

INS Kochi & INS Tabar docked at New Mangalore Port

Indian Navy vessel INS Kochi, the second ship of the Kolkata-class stealth guided-missile destroyers built for the Indian Navy, carried three liquid oxygen-filled ISO containers of net weight 20 MT each, 40 pallets of oxygen cylinders of one ton each & two high flow oxygen concentrators of 10-litre capacity. INS Tabar, the third of the Talwar-class frigate of the Indian Navy carried two liquid oxygen-filled ISO containers of net weight 20 MT each and 30 pallets of oxygen cylinders of one ton each. 

Unloaded Oxygen Containers Heading For Their Destination

These medical oxygen and concentrators are from the second tranche of medical aid that the Kuwait Government has donated to the Indian Red Cross Society. The cargo was loaded on both the ships at Shuwaikh Port and they sailed out on May 6. Including these two ships totally the port to date has handled four naval vessels that carried medical oxygen & equipment under the Samudra Setu-II operation launched by the Indian Navy. 

Oxygen Containers Being Offloaded From Naval Ship at NMPT

Both the vessels were berthed on the highest priority.NMPT extended all its resources for berthing of the vessels and handling of the oxygen containers, pallets containing oxygen cylinders and high flow oxygen concentrators on zero charges as per the directives of the ministry of ports, shipping and waterways. A V Ramana, chairman, NMPT, KG Nath, deputy chairman, senior officers of the port, Navy, Coast Guard, Customs and district administration were present.

Indian Naval Ships Docked at New Mangalore Port

All the agencies concerned co-operated at the operation site to monitor and ensure smooth disembarking of the cargo off the vessels without any delays. The state and district administration will decide on the further distribution of the Oxygen tanks, cylinders and concentrators. Binoy Nambiar, nodal officer for Oxygen supplies for DK said three of the O2 containers is meant for Bengaluru and one each for Mysuru and Tumakuru. 

Unloaded Oxygen Container Being Loaded On To A Trailer For Dispatch

Indian Red Cross Society Representatives Accepting The Equipment From Indian Navy

Hindustan Latex Company that had indented the pallets and high flow oxygen concentrators will distribute the same as per requests received or directions given to them by the authorities concerned. Out of the 40 MT of oxygen that the authorities received from INS Kolkata, 20 MT was earmarked for Dakshina Kannada and 10MT each was sent to Udupi and Uttara Kannada. The oxygen cylinders were sent to various revenue districts in the Malnad region.