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On the 51st anniversary of the adoption of the Indian constitution, 26 January 2001, an earthquake registering 7.9 on the Richter scale rocked the western state of Gujarat. It was the worst quake to hit India in over 50 years, and was the most serious to hit the state of Gujarat since 1819. Nearly all of the quake’s victims were from the town of Bhuj, in western Gujarat, and the nearby city of Ahmedabad. The quake also affected Kandla, India’s third largest port. On a day meant for celebration in the world’s largest democracy, the country faced one of its biggest challenges of the past decade.
Indian Military Responds
In response, the Indian armed forces organized a joint effort that maximized the capabilities of each of its services, launching Operation SAHAYATA. The Ministry of Defence established disaster management cells at Army Headquarters (Director General-Military Operations), Headquarters Southern Command, Ahmadabad, and at Bhuj. These cells were linked together by secure satellite communications. With command and control elements in place, military leaders began moving units and equipment to the affected area to begin assisting the victims.
During this relief operation, the Indian Army deployed over 23,000 troops to the affected area. In fact, the Indian Army began the induction of troops and equipment on the day of the earthquake. These officers and soldiers provided the backbone of the search and rescue/recovery teams. Within hours of the earthquake, stories began filtering out of Gujarat about the responsiveness of this professional force. Indian Army physicians, working under extremely difficult conditions, performed over 10,000 surgeries and provided aid to nearly 20,000 patients.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) provided critical air deliveries of relief supplies and emergency personnel to Gujarat. During the first seven days of Operation SAHAYATA, the IAF conducted over 500 landings in the affected area, delivering loads of relief supplies of approximately 5,000 tons. By the conclusion of Operation SAHAYATA, the IAF had conducted the largest airlift in its history.
The Navy also did its part to help the victims in Gujarat. Naval medical teams and relief teams were immediately brought on alert. The Navy dispatched ships to Kandla to survey the damage to this important port. By mid-day on 27 January, the Indian Navy completed its survey of the Kandla channel and cleared the port for operations. The INS Ganga and INS Himgiri deployed to transport relief supplies from Mumbai to Kandla. Indian Navy assets, including helicopters, transported over 250 tons of food to Kandla.
The ships also evacuated critically ill patients to Mumbai. Two other Navy ships, the INS Nirdeshak and INS Jamuna, were converted into hospital ships at Kandla Port, treating over 200 patients. On the ground, naval surgical teams treated over 500 patients, including about 100 major cases.
