India sets up evacuation camps on Ukraine's borders with Poland, Romania, Hungary
Darpan News Desk IANS, 25 Feb, 2022 02:37 PM
New Delhi, Feb 25 (IANS) India has set up camps on Ukraine's borders touching Poland, Romania, Hungary and Slovakia for evacuation of stranded nationals from the war-hit east European nation.
With Ukraine closing its airspace after Russia launched a military operation in the country on Thursday, the Indian Embassy in Kiev has asked the Indian nationals to start moving towards the bordering areas so that they can be evacuated safely.
The Embassy issued two advisories urging Indian nationals to start moving towards the country's western border check-posts.
In the first advisory, the Embassy stated: "Indian nationals arriving at the Poland-Ukraine border by public conveyance, i.e., by bus or taxi, are advised to make for the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing, not the Krakowiec crossing."
The Embassy stated that the Polish government is allowing people to cross the border on foot only through the Shehyni-Medyka border point.
The Krakowiec crossing is only for persons travelling in their own vehicles.
The Embassy also gave a list of the officials deployed at the bordering areas with Poland -- Pankaj Garg (+48660460815) is stationed at the Shehyni-Medyka border crossing.
The Embassy office at the Krakowiec crossing is headed by Shubham Kumar (+48881551271). The liaison office in Lviv is operational and is managed by Mira Berezovska (+380679335064) and Vivek Kumar (+48881551273, from late on Friday).
"Indians crossing into Poland may kindly register their details by processing their requests for seats in the repatriation flights which will be arranged shortly," it stated.
In the second advisory, the Embassy said that it is working to establish evacuation routes from Romania and Hungary.
"At present, teams are getting in place at the Chop-Zahony Hungarian border near Uzhhorod Porubne-Siret, and Romanian border near Chernivtsi," the Embassy stated.
Indian nationals, especially students, living closest to the above border check-posts have been advised to depart first in an organised manner, in coordination with teams from the Ministry of External Affairs, to actualise this option.
"Once the above routes are operational, Indian nationals travelling by their own arrangements for transport would be advised to proceed to the above border check-points, and remain in touch with the helpline numbers set up at the respective check-points for facilitation through the border," the Embassy stated.
Students have been advised to remain in touch with student contractors for orderly movement.
India on Friday revised the existing guidelines for all international arrivals in India in view of the rising Covid cases and the Omicron threat, to make seven days home quarantine mandatory. The new guidelines will be effective from January 11 till further notice.
On Wednesday, the Prime Minister's rally in Ferozepur had to be cancelled due to a security lapse after some protesters blocked a route and forced his convoy to spend about 20 minutes on a flyover. The Prime Minister was enroute the National Martyrs Memorial at Hussainiwala when the incident happened.
On Thursday, senior BJP leaders including chief ministers of the party ruled states offered prayers at temples across the country for the well-being and long life of Prime Minister Modi after his security was breached in Punjab on January 5.
Most of these farmers had earlier stated that they were present at the spot but were not involved in the attack. They were, at that time, charged under bailable sections such as 'rioting' and 'voluntarily causing hurt' and were let off by the SIT officials under Section 41 of the CrPC.
The Congress is witnessing internal bickering on the issue of security breach of the Prime Minister and Congress MP from Punjab Manish Tewari has termed the incidence as most unfortunate and said the matter should be probed by a sitting High Court Judge.
Addressing a gathering in Tanda in Hoshiarpur district after laying the foundation stone of development work, the Chief Minister said there was no threat to the life of the Prime Minister but he cancelled his programme on Wednesday because of the thin presence of people at the BJP's rally.
