14 naval ships and about 30 Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft are getting ready to bring back the Indians stranded abroad. The Navy is going to evacuate Indians from gulf countries, while IAF might fly back the people from other nations.
The Navy is going to accommodate nearly 3,000 in its ships.
“The three big ships that have been chosen have a larger capacity and can accommodate over 1,500 people. If the need arises, more ships out of the 14 on standby can be used,” said an official.
On Friday, IAF chief Air Chief Marshal RKS Bhadauria and Navy chief Admiral Karambir Singh said they are ready and are awaiting a go-ahead.
While the IAF chief said that nearly 30 aircraft are on standby, the navy chief said there is a huge diaspora in Gulf countries and the navy will swing into action soon.
The naval ships will have to be modified in order to ensure that the standard operating procedures like distancing, sanitisation, etc are followed on board, sources said.
The ships might not be able to accommodate people to full capacity as enough distancing needs to be maintained, sources added.
Quarantine or isolation facilities are necessary on board, in case people show symptoms of Covid-19 or come in contact with infected people, sources added.
According to the basic protocols, medical teams will also be on board.
