Visit Indian Travel Sites
Goa,
Kerala,
Tamil Nadu,
Andhra Pradesh,
Delhi,
Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Sikkim,
Madhya Pradesh,
Jammu & Kashmir
Karnataka
|
ISRO to use CARTOSAT to search for missing Andhra CM | The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) will conduct two fly-bys at 9.30 a.m. and 10.30
a.m. respectively with the help of CARTOSAT One and Two as part of their intensified
search operations for missing Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajashekhara
Reddy on Thursday. State Government sources said that they have narrowed down
the search to a five-square kilometer radius in the Nallamala Forest Range where
they believe the seven-seat Bell helicopter carrying the chief minister may have
gone down on Wednesday between 9 a.m. and 9.30 a.m. Notwithstanding a heavy cloud
cover, a three-pronged search operation has been launched. Four helicopters have
taken off for the search. At least 700 villagers, bow and arrow wielding Chenchu
tribals who are familiar with the terrain and former Naxals have reportedly joined
in the search operations. The State Government has refused to make any comment
on the latest developments in view of the fact that there are conflicting reports
with regard to the copter's whereabouts. There is a lot of cross-checking being
done to come up with verifiable facts. Reddy''s chopper went missing while he
was on his way from Kurnool to Chittoor. He was accompanied by his Principal Secretary
S Subramanyam and Chief Security Officer A S C Wesley. There were two pilots also
on board the twin-engined Bell 430 helicopter that lost contact with Air Traffic
Control at the Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad when it was headed for Chittoor district,
about 600 kilometres from Hyderabad. ISRO chief G. Madhavan Nair and his team
are monitoring a low flying remote sensing plane. Satellite images are being used
to try and trace the place. So far, 41 images have been taken but none of them
has revealed any information about the chief minister's whereabouts. As of now
the Indian Government has said that it has not requested the United States for
help in the matter, but has confirmed that the unmanned vehicle that is presently
deployed in the north eastern part of the country is being kept on standby. The
Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, Andhra
Police Greyhound commandos along with local police and district officials has
entered the Nallamalla Forests to launch the massive search and rescue operation
for Reddy. About 250 Army personnel with night vision devices have joined the
search operations. "We have deployed two columns and one Ghatak (jungle warfare
specialist) platoon in the area for searching the Chief Minister. Our troops are
equipped with night vision devices such as goggles and hand held thermal imagers,"
Army officials said. Congress president Sonia Gandhi is expected to arrive in
Hyderabad shortly to be with Reddy's anguished family members and to get a hand
on assessment of the search operation. She has already sent Union Law Minister
and Congress general secretary in charge of Andhra Pradesh affairs Veerappa Moily
and Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chauhan
to the city to monitor developments. Chauhan told press persons that the State
and Central Governments are sparing no efforts to search for the chief minister.
Meanwhile, National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan has said that while both the
state and central governments are extremely concerned and worried about the missing
chief minister, all available resources are being deployed for the search. He
said Army and Air Force helicopters have been conducting a search of the region.
He also confirmed that two fixed-wing Sukhoi 30 aircraft with synthetic aperture
radar capabilities have been pressed into service. Forces on the ground are also
on the lookout for the missing helicopter and its individuals. Narayanan said
that the lack of communication is a major problem and also ruled out the probability
of a Naxal strike. "I don''t think the Naxals have the capability to bring down
a helicopter," he said. "There is no question about calling off the search till
we discover what happened there. We are hopeful we will find the Chief Minister,
his chief secretary and PSO without serious injuries," he added.
|
|
|
|
|
|