26 flights to bring home nationals over next 3 days
Staff Reporter
Foreign Secretary, Harsh Vardhan Shringla said that evacuating Indians from Ukraine’s second-largest eastern city of Kharkiv remains government’s top priority. The government has intensified evacuation of stranded Indians from Ukraine. 26 flights have been scheduled over the next 3 days to bring home Indian nationals from the war-hit country. Apart from Bucharest and Budapest, airports in Slovakia and Poland will also be used.
Mr Shringla said, around 12 thousand Indian nationals have left Ukraine which is almost 60 percent of Indians staying in the strife-torn nation. Following the closure of Ukrainian airspace, India is evacuating citizens from Ukraine through land border crossings with neighbouring countries such as Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Slovakia. Four Union Ministers Hardeep Singh Puri, Kiren Rijiju, Jyotiraditya Scindia and General VK Singh have been deployed in these countries to speed up the evacuation process.
Under Operation Ganga, so far ten flights have arrived in India from Ukraine’s neighbouring countries. The first flight carrying 219 Indians flew from Romania’s capital Bucharest to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji terminal on the evening of 26th February. The second flight also from Bucharest landed at Delhi airport the same night bringing 250 Indians. The third flight from Hungarian capital Budapest brought 240 Indian nationals early morning next day. The fourth Operation Ganga flight with 198 Indian evacuees reached Delhi from Bucharest. Fifth Operation Ganga flight from Bucharest to Delhi came with 249 Indian nationals. The Sixth flight from Budapest, brought back 240 Indian nationals to Delhi. The seventh flight carrying 182 Indians came to Mumbai from Bucharest. While Eighth flight from Budapest landed in New Delhi with 216 Indian nationals. The ninth flight brought 218 Indians from Bucharest.
Meanwhile, round-the-clock control centers have been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indian nationals through the border crossing points with Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovak Republic.
The helpline numbers for Hungary are – 36 308517373, 36 13257742 and 36 13257743. For Poland, the numbers are 48 225400000, 48 795850877 and 48 792712511. For Romania, the helpline numbers are- 40 732124309, 40 771632567, 40 745161631 and 40 741528123 and for Slovak Republic people can contact on 421 252631377, 421 252962916 and 421 951697560. A dedicated Twitter handle in the name of Operation Ganga Helpline has also been set up to assist in the evacuation of Indians from Ukraine.
The External Affairs Ministry control rooms helpline numbers are – 1800118797 (Toll free), 91 1123012113, 91 1123014104, 91 1123017905 and Fax- 91 11 23088124. People can also E-mail at