Massive and widespread forest fires had been devouring the pristine forests 30 Kms east of Visakhapatnam and causing widespread destruction to the flora and fauna. On request from the State Administration, four of the newly acquired IAF MI-17 V5 helicopters were pressed into action at Visakhapatnam using the Forest Fire Fighting Equipment, euphemistically called “The Bambi Bucket” having a capacity of 3500 ltrs of water each. The first sortie of the helicopter from Visakhapatnam was devoted in carrying out a detailed aerial assessment of the general area and the extent of the fire. Initially the fire seemed under control, however at 1330 hrs the wind speed increased and fire picked up. A total of 1,00,000 ltrs of water was used to douse the fire and a total of 42 shuttles were carried out by these helicopters. The forest fire is now under control and a sortie is planned in the morning along with forest and district officials to assess the situation.
It would be pertinent to note that helicopters are being utilised for fighting forest fires for the third time this year. In addition to being instrumental in containing a potentially catastrophic environmental disaster, presence of IAF helicopter is a veritable morale booster for the local populace. The Indian Air Force, after proving its mettle in bringing succor to scores of people after the flash floods in Uttarakhand in April last year, and Jammu and Kashmir in September this year has once again risen to the occasion and added a pioneering chapter in Disaster Relief Operations. The Indian Air Force reaffirms its commitment towards Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Operations in support of the nation.
