Kochi (Kerala): Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa is all set for a voyage to Colombo to repatriate the Indian nationals on Saturday under the Vande Bharat Mission.
The journey of the ship will commence at 13:00 hour on Saturday and would reach Colombo Port by Sunday. Following which, landing platform dock of the Navy will evacuate the stranded Indians and bring them back to Tuticorin on June 2.
An official source from the Indian Navy told a news agency, "Indian Naval Ship Jalashwa will leave from Cochin International Cruise Terminal at 13:00 hour today and reach Colombo Port tomorrow. The process of evacuation would begin tomorrow as a part of operation Samudra Setu under Vande Bharat Mission."
For the voyage, amid many applications, priority has been given to cases such as job loss, pregnant women, elderly people along with children. The entire process is being conducted in coordination with the Government of Srilanka.
Under naval repatriation exercise the vessel had earlier evacuated stranded Indian from the Maldives on May 8 and May 16 since the COVID-19 induced lockdown came into force in India on March 25.
The entire process is a part of the central government's Vande Bharat Mission for repatriation of stranded Indian nationals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
ANI Report
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