New Delhi, April 18 (IANS). The government said in an official statement on Saturday that all Indian sailors present in West Asia and the Gulf region are completely safe. No untoward incident has been reported involving any Indian flagged ship in the last 24 hours.
The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said in a statement that DG Shipping has so far helped bring back more than 2,487 Indian seafarers safely. These also include the return of 34 sailors in the last 24 hours, who were brought from different places in the Gulf region.
The official statement said that operations at all ports in India are continuing normally and there is no congestion or obstruction anywhere.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways has taken necessary steps for the safety of Indian ships and sailors operating in the area. The Ministry is continuously coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian Embassies and maritime organizations to ensure the safety of seafarers and maritime operations continue without interruption.
The Ministry of External Affairs is also constantly monitoring the situation in the Gulf and West Asia and is active regarding the security of Indians living there. The ministry is issuing advisories from time to time, giving information about local government rules, flight status and consular services.
The Indian Embassy is in constant touch with the Indian community, organisations, companies and other stakeholders to provide immediate assistance as and when needed.
Wherever airspace is open, flights are continuing. Since February 28, about 10.68 lakh passengers have come to India from the West Asia region.
A limited number of non-scheduled commercial flights are being operated between United Arab Emirates (UAE) and India. Around 110 flights are expected to operate today.
Apart from this, flights to India are also being operated regularly from many airports of Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The government also informed that the Indian Embassy in Tehran has so far facilitated the repatriation of 2,373 Indian citizens from Iran to India via Armenia and Azerbaijan. These include 1,041 students and 657 fishermen.
The government says that it is keeping an eye on every situation and is taking every necessary step for the safety of Indian citizens.
–IANS
DBP