Operation Ganga: Flight carrying 218 Indian nationals reaches Delhi
Mar 01, 2022
New Delhi [India], March 2 : The special flight carrying 218 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Delhi from the Romanian capital Bucharest on Tuesday under Operation Ganga.
Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw received the students at Indira Gandhi International Airport. He also interacted with the students at the airport.
Speaking to ANI, Vaishnaw said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi is putting all efforts in Operation Ganga to safely bring students back home. Students are joyous and believe the efforts by the Government of India were great."
"I appeal to these students to tell their friends in Ukraine to have the strength and keep patience. They will very soon be evacuated safely. Flights are coming in continuously. Four ministers have also been deployed in that area for effective coordination," added the Union Minister.
Meanwhile, a flight carrying 182 Indian nationals stranded in Ukraine reached Mumbai from Romania's Bucharest as part of 'Operation Ganga' on Tuesday. Union Minister Narayan Rane received the evacuated Indian nationals at the Mumbai airport.
The Union Government has been ramping up its efforts to evacuate Indians from Ukraine. The government has deployed 'special envoys' to four neighbouring countries bordering Ukraine to coordinate and oversee the evacuation process of Indian nationals. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri will oversee evacuation efforts in Hungary, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju in Slovakia, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia in Romania while Gen VK Singh in Poland.
The Indian government has launched Operation Ganga for the return of Indians from Ukraine amid military operations by Russia.
Earlier on Tuesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting to review the efforts to bring back Indians stranded in Ukraine. The meeting is being attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and senior officials.
The Prime Minister had on Monday chaired two meetings to review the ongoing efforts under Operation Ganga for the return of Indians from Ukraine amid military operations by Russia. Another meeting was held on Sunday.
The Cabinet Committee on Security had met on February 24 in the wake of Russian military actions in Ukraine.
