India gave airspace clearance to the Pakistani flight carrying relief material for Sri Lanka within four hours and termed the Pakistani media’s claims regarding denial as baseless. India has sent 53 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka affected by Cyclone Ditvaha.
New Delhi. Sri Lanka is currently struggling with the devastation of Cyclone Ditvaha and the situation remains very serious. At such times, the importance of every effort to help increases. But meanwhile, a big claim started spreading rapidly on social media and Pakistani media that India refused to allow Pakistan’s humanitarian aid flight to pass through its airspace. This claim may sound sensational, but the truth is exactly the opposite.
Did India really refuse to give airspace?
It was clearly said from the Indian side that these news are completely baseless, misleading and beyond the facts. The reality is that Pakistan had sent an overflight request to India at around 1 pm (IST) on Monday. The purpose of the request was to deliver relief material to Sri Lanka. Understanding this humanitarian need, India gave permission within just four hours. That is, by 5:30 pm (IST), official approval was given to Pakistan.
After all, why is Pakistan media making such a claim?
This question may come to everyone’s mind that when India gave permission, then why did fake news like “refusal” spread? Officials say that this is completely wrong information. India said written communication of approval was also sent, yet some Pakistani media houses reported that India “refused” to grant the airspace. Interestingly, India gave this permission on humanitarian grounds, whereas Pakistan itself is still not allowing Indian airlines to use its airspace.
Did India really send major aid to Sri Lanka?
Yes. India has sent a total of 53 tonnes of relief material to Sri Lanka under Operation Sagar Bandhu. These include:
- 9.5 tonnes of emergency ration
- tent, tarpaulin, blanket
- Hygiene Kit, Ready-to-Eat Food
- Medicines and surgical equipment
- Three aircraft of Indian Air Force
- TWO BHISHM CUBES
- Five-member medical team for on-site training
- 80 member special USAR teams of NDRF
- Indian Navy’s ship Sukanya, in which 12 more tons of aid was sent
All these materials and teams are helping to fight floods and storms in Sri Lanka.
How serious is the situation in Sri Lanka?
There has been massive flood in Sri Lanka due to the impact of Cyclone Ditvaha. At least 334 people have been confirmed dead. Many parts of Colombo are submerged in water and relief work is going on continuously.
Why is it important to recognize truth among false news?
This whole incident shows how fast fake news can spread during an international crisis. India’s claim of stopping Pakistan’s flight has been proved completely wrong. The reality is that India gave swift approval on humanitarian grounds and did not impose any hindrance in helping Sri Lanka. This incident once again proves that it is most important to check facts in sensitive situations.