Defence Minister A.K. Antony on Sunday directed the Air Force to step up deployment of its assets in the flood-affected areas of Orissa following the State government's request for increased assistance in relief and rescue operations.
Seven MI-17, one Sea King and one Cheetah helicopters of the Navy have been detailed for deployment.
On Sunday, 2 MI-17 and a Chetak undertook 15 sorties each and lifted 10.8 tonnes of material, a Defence Ministry release said. However, due to heavy rain and inclement weather, only two of the seven MI-17choppers could takeoff on Sunday.
The Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief operations would continue on Monday, the Ministry said.