Fly-pasts, bands, flower petals: Armed forces laud COVID-19 warriors
To acknowledge the relentless efforts of healthcare workers in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, the armed forces on Sunday (May 3), held thanks-giving activities like fly-pasts, flashing warship lights and displays by Indian Army bands across the country.
The first fly-past was held in Srinagar, capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
#WATCH Indian Air Force's flypast over Srinagar's Dal Lake to pay tribute to medical professionals and all other frontline workers. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/enk7mwznJc
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2020
Aerial Salute by #Airwarriors to #CoronaWarriors
2XC-130 aircraft presented aerial salute to the #CovidWarriors over Dal Lake & Sukhna Lake.
Glimpses from Sukhna Lake.@SpokespersonMoD pic.twitter.com/FvFPOHVVNq— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) May 3, 2020
Paying tribute to police officials for their role in the fight against COVID-19 pandemic, an IAF chopper showered flower petals on the Police War Memorial.
In Haryana, an IAF chopper held a fly-past over the Government Hospital in Panchkula. An Indian Army band performed outside the hospital to express gratitude towards medical professionals as well.
The IAF has made elaborate arrangements to conduct aerial fly-pasts and shower flower petals on hospitals treating COVID-19 patients in other cities, including Mumbai and Jaipur.
Similarly, the Indian Navy’s chopper showered flower petals on Goa Medical College in Panaji to express gratitude towards medical professionals fighting the virus.
#WATCH: Navy chopper showers flower petals on Goa Medical College in Panaji to express gratitude towards medical professionals fighting #COVID19. pic.twitter.com/fhIz1pQlpM
— ANI (@ANI) May 3, 2020
The Navy will light up ships at sea to express gratitude to lakhs of doctors, paramedics, sanitation staff and other front-line workers.
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat on Friday (May 2) announced that the three services will carry out a series of activities to thank the “corona warriors”.
The thanks-giving activities started with laying of wreaths at the police memorial in Delhi and in several other cities.
The fighter jets featuring in the fly-past over Delhi-NCR, or IAF’s “aerial salute,” include the Sukhoi-30s, MiG-29s and Jaguars, officials said.
Navy officials said the Western Naval Command will illuminate five naval ships from 7:30 pm to 11:59 pm off the Gateway of India in Mumbai.
They would display banners like “India Salutes Corona Warriors” and will sound the siren of the ships and fire flares at 7:30 pm at anchorage. Additionally, the Naval air stations at Goa would organise a human chain on the runway to honour the ‘corona warriors’.
The Eastern Naval Command will illuminate two ships at anchorage from 7:30 pm to midnight at Visakhapatnam coast.
Earlier, to laud the efforts of doctors and other healthcare workers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked people to clap for them from their balconies and light candles, in their honour.
So far, the coronavirus has infected 37,776 people in India and claimed 1,223 lives, according to the Union Health Ministry on Saturday.
Gen Rawat’s announcement about the special activities came shortly before the Union Home Ministry said the current spell of the lockdown will be extended by another two weeks from Monday.
The lockdown came into force on March 25 and was to end on April 14. It was first extended till May 3.
(With inputs from agencies)
