Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya flagged off three Indian Red Cross trucks.
Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya Friday flagged off three Indian Red Cross trucks carrying flood and cold relief supplies and medicines for the people of Jammu, Srinagar, Ladakh and Uttarakhand.
"This will support vulnerable populations in the northern-most UTs for the winter season and provide flood relief to people of Uttarakhand," Mr Mandaviya said in a tweet.
The flag-off function was held at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.
Along with blankets, the supplies to Uttarakhand consisted mosquito nets, kitchen sets, tents and essential medicines from Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
While flagging off the supplies, Mr Mandaviya said, "Red Cross assists the most vulnerable and needy in times of disasters and other crisis situations."
He added that people affected by severe flooding are already being assisted by the local Red Cross branches. The national headquarters is supplementing their efforts by sending fresh supplies.
The Union health minister said that prepositioning of relief items is under process for use by vulnerable states. These items consist of among other things about one lakh blankets, one lakh hygiene kits, one lakh tarpaulins and 75,000 kitchen sets.
The Union Health Minister further stated that recent landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand have severely affected the state.
"To supplement the efforts of the State Government, three truck loads of relief supplies have been sent to Uttarakhand. In addition, Ministry of Health has also sent medicines for the suffering population. Hilly states experience severe cold in the winter months. The blankets are being pre positioned so that in times of any crisis, people affected can be supported immediately", he added
Heavy rains in the recent past have left scores of people dead in Uttarakhand. Over 300 people were rescued by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) from the flood-affected areas of the state.
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