HAL’s Advanced Light Helicopter Dhruv, operated by the Indian Army, has been playing an important role in the ongoing rescue and relief operations being undertaken in the earthquake devastated regions of Nepal.

“HAL’s Dhruv has so far cumulatively completed 40 sorties, clocking around 70 hours of flying. They are helping in the movement of equipment, other logistics management, in addition to evacuating people from the earthquake-affected areas,” said T Suvarna Raju, Chairman and Managing Director, HAL.

The tiny Himalayan country suffered widespread devastation when a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck it on April 25.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently handed over a Dhruv helicopter, built by Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, to the Prime Minister of Nepal, Sushil Koirala, at Kathmandu. The chopper is being used by the Nepalese Army.

Dhruv helicopters have a proven track record in both military and civil operations. It is designed to meet the requirements of both military and civil operators. Dhruv has also been exported to Ecuador, Mauritius and the Maldives. Dhruv is particularly useful in meeting arduous tasks in difficult terrain.

Dhruv helicopters played a key role in search and rescue operations during the 2004 tsunami, the 2010 flash floods at Leh, the 2011 earthquake in Sikkim, the biggest ever rescue operation by helicopters, undertaken by the IAF in flood- and rain-hit areas of Uttarakhand in June 2013, and in the Jammu & Kashmir flood relief operation in September 2014.

Dhruv is being operated by the Indian Air Force, the Indian Army, the Indian Navy, the Coast Guard, BSF and state governments since 2002. More than 140 Dhruv helicopters are in operation, and have logged close to 1, 30,000 flight hours.

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