Thursday, December 30 2004 18:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bhubaneswar: The Orissa Government has airlifted 9.3 metric tonnes of relief material to tsunami and quake hit Andaman and Nicobar Islands while more is being sent, Revenue minister Manmohan Samal said today (Dec 30, 2004).

The Government has decided to send altogether 20 metric tonnes of material worth Rupees One crore to the islands and an Il-76 transport aircraft was expected to arrive in Bhubaneswar during the day for the purpose, he told reporters here.

While the first consignment of the relief material weighing 4.8 mt was dispatched on Monday (Dec 27, 2004) another 4.5 mt was sent on Tuesday (Dec 28, 2004).

The material being despatched to the Andamans included 4.5 Mt of food material, 3.5 mt of medicines, one mt of mineral water, six mt of flattened rice and jaggery (dry food) and five mt of tents and other accessories, he said.

The Union Home Ministry had asked the Government to send diesel generator sets, drinking water and battery torches to the Andaman Islands, samal said.