Western Air Command chief inspects relief operations at Leh airbase

IAF's Western Air Command chief Air Marshal NAK Browne today flew in to Leh to oversee the relief operations in the town devastated by cloudburst last week.

Browne, under whose charge the northern sector falls, visited Leh airbase and inspected the air bridge operations. He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal R Sitaraman, an IAF spokesperson said.

Browne’s visit included a review of infrastructure of Leh airbase, as well as meeting the station personnel, who restored full-fledged operations at the airbase within eight hours of the cloudburst swamping the air station with slush and floods.

As a result of their work, 16 flights (both IAF and civil) were operated at the Leh airbase on Saturday and 22 flights on Sunday.

During the visit, Browne carried a consignment of medical aid to the civil administration on his flight and handed them over to the local administration personnel.

He also carried out an aerial survey of the base and held discussions on the situation with minister of state in the prime minister's office Prithviraj Chauhan, who is already in Leh.