“We have been waiting for several days and were tense. The Indian High Commission helped us and the immigration procedures got over at the Velana international airport. It is such a relief to be boarding this naval ship for the trip home,” Rageena, from Pathanamthitta, said before embarking INS Jalashwa, a landing platform dock (LPD), a large amphibious vessel, which was docked at Male as part of the Navy’s Operation Samudra Setu to repatriate Indians stranded in the island nation of Maldives.
The ship is expected to reach Kochi with 698 people, mostly from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telengana, on May 10.
The Indian Mission in the Maldives had earlier in the day ferried the short-listed passengers for immigration procedures. An evacuation service charge of MVR 600, roughly about ₹3,000, was fixed for each passenger. The Navy, in a communication, said that baggage disinfection stations, medical screening and reception desks at the jetty had all been set up to ensure safe embarkation of passengers.
“Yes, everything went smooth with the Indian Mission, the Indian Navy and the military in the Maldives helping the passengers,” said Dilip Mohan, originally from Perumbavoor in Ernakulam who is been working as a teacher in the island nation for eight years. Mr. Mohan, who assisted in the planning and preparation of the evacuation, told The Hindu that the shortlisting of passengers was done based on their medical condition and employment status.
“Some 1,200 Indians working primarily in the hospitality industry, in resorts, have lost their jobs,” he said.
Meanwhile, a communication from the Cochin port said that all emigration and medical protocols were in place to receive the passengers being brought from Male.
BSNL will issue SIM cards to the passengers, who will have to install Aarogya Setu app on their mobile phones while inside the Samudrika cruise terminal and their transport home would be taken care of by the Regional Transport Officer.
