Bad weather: C-130Js stay grounded but on stand-by
25 Jun 2013 5:01 AM IST
The C-130Js were on stand-by throughout the day. One of the three designated aircraft had what the air force calls ‘weather recce’- a reconnaissance mission that kicks-off late into the dark night and as the Sun finally rises over the hills.
Till the time that C-130J crew gives the signal green about the weather, the choppers and the AN-32s cannot take to air to begin their sorties of rescuing stranded travellers on the north-central reaches of the Himalayas, where the calamitous rains of the last week has brought death, destruction and debility.
This Monday morning, that weather-watcher C-130J flew. It only found the Dharasu-Hersil sector having reasonably good weather fit for flying choppers while the rest of the area around Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Guptkashi, Badrinath under serious cloud cover and in fact, incessant rain to follow. So the rest of the C-130Js had to stay grounded but on stand-by waiting for the weather to clear up. But it did not.
However, possibly triggered by a rousing message from the Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, in which he said, ‘Our helicopters will not stop churning till such time we get each one of you out, do not lose hope and hang in there,’ the IAF flew 116 sorties and evacuated 1095 pilgrims and air dropping 3,800 kgs of relief material and urgently necessary equipments.
The air force asserted that Badrinath, Harsil and Junglechatti has been ‘totally evacuated.’ A few stragglers remain at Bhairaonchatti and towards Kharsali, the service stated.
Till the time that C-130J crew gives the signal green about the weather, the choppers and the AN-32s cannot take to air to begin their sorties of rescuing stranded travellers on the north-central reaches of the Himalayas, where the calamitous rains of the last week has brought death, destruction and debility.
This Monday morning, that weather-watcher C-130J flew. It only found the Dharasu-Hersil sector having reasonably good weather fit for flying choppers while the rest of the area around Kedarnath, Uttarkashi, Guptkashi, Badrinath under serious cloud cover and in fact, incessant rain to follow. So the rest of the C-130Js had to stay grounded but on stand-by waiting for the weather to clear up. But it did not.
However, possibly triggered by a rousing message from the Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne, in which he said, ‘Our helicopters will not stop churning till such time we get each one of you out, do not lose hope and hang in there,’ the IAF flew 116 sorties and evacuated 1095 pilgrims and air dropping 3,800 kgs of relief material and urgently necessary equipments.
The air force asserted that Badrinath, Harsil and Junglechatti has been ‘totally evacuated.’ A few stragglers remain at Bhairaonchatti and towards Kharsali, the service stated.
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