SWAC conducts awareness camps ahead of monsoon

Rajkot, May 12 (UNI) The Gandhinagar-headquartered South Western Air Command (SWAC) has begun a series of ''Flood Relief Training and Awareness Camps'' in the state in preparation for the monsoon.

The SWAC demonstrated the rescue of a flood victim by helicopter here yesterday. The State Disaster Management officials from every district were participating in the camps, an official press release here said.

The camps were aimed at disseminating information on issues relating the safety of the people on ground, procedures relating to dispatching relief materials, and conduct of rescue operations, the release said.

The awareness camps by the IAF included practical demonstration of winching on a Mi-8 helicopter, and operation involving pulling into the hovering helicopter stranded personnel from places where landing was not possible.

During last year's floods, lack of appropriate knowledge among the people had hampered the IAF's rescue and relief operations. The SWAC, therefore, felt it apt to conduct the awareness camps.

Last year, in Gujarat, SWAC helicopters had airlifted 244 tonnes of relief material and rescued 560 people of whom 420 were winched up to safety.

UNI