Will 18 Residents from Andhra Pradesh Make it Home Tonight?

Amaravati, June 23 (NationPress) Eighteen residents from Andhra Pradesh are part of a group of 456 Indians who will be returning later tonight after being evacuated from Iran and Israel due to the ongoing conflict in the region.

Among these evacuees, three individuals from Andhra Pradesh will arrive in Delhi at 11:30 p.m. from Israel via Jordan, while an additional 15 will be part of the 291 Indians reaching the national capital around midnight. This brings the total number of evacuees from Andhra Pradesh on this day to 18, which includes two Telugu-speaking individuals who have already returned to their hometowns safely.

By the end of the day, a total of 20 individuals from Andhra Pradesh will have been successfully repatriated under Operation Sindhu, as stated by Lav Agarwal, the Resident Commissioner of Andhra Pradesh in New Delhi.

The Government of India has initiated Operation Sindhu, a strategic evacuation project aimed at repatriating Indian nationals stranded in both countries. Led by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), in collaboration with Indian Embassies, Operation Sindhu has reportedly evacuated 1,713 Indian citizens through various land and air corridors.

Initially, the closure of Iranian airspace due to conflicts created significant logistical challenges. Consequently, India swiftly arranged alternative evacuation routes via Armenia and Turkmenistan. Evacuees were first moved from high-risk areas such as Tehran to safer cities including Mashhad, Qom, and Ramsar, with assistance from the Indian Embassy in Tehran particularly for students from universities like Tehran University of Medical Sciences and Shahid Beheshti University.

Diplomatic negotiations led to the reopening of Iranian airspace, allowing Mahan Air flights to operate between Mashhad and New Delhi. From June 20 to 22, six flights successfully brought back nearly 1,568 citizens.

A flight carrying 311 evacuees landed in Delhi on June 22, with three flights scheduled for June 23.

A total of 291 Indians arrived on the first flight which landed at 4:30 p.m. on June 20. To ensure a seamless return journey, AP Bhavan in New Delhi has made extensive arrangements for all evacuees from the state.

From airport reception to temporary accommodation, meals, medical care, and transportation to their hometowns, every aspect has been carefully organized to ensure comfort, dignity, and safety, as officials have indicated.

Continuous coordination with the Non-Resident Telugu Society (NRTS) and other support organizations is in place to offer emotional and logistical assistance to returnees during this stressful period.

While Operation Sindhu is smaller in scale compared to Operation Ganga (which evacuated over 22,000 Indians from Ukraine in 2022), it faces unique challenges, including airspace restrictions, diplomatic sensitivities, and navigating conflict zones.

Efforts continue to evacuate the remaining 800 Indian nationals, with ongoing coordination among Iran, Armenia, Turkmenistan, and other stakeholders.

Priority is being given to students, medical professionals, and other vulnerable individuals.

The successful return of 20 Telugu-speaking citizens highlights the effective collaboration between national and state institutions, officials concluded.