Pune, December 29: WITH the prospect of an epidemic looming large over the tsunami-hit areas of southern India, the Southern Command has intensified measures for extending medical aid and relief to the affected areas.

Besides medicine packets and other relief material, a complete field-ambulance is being airlifted from Bhopal to the Andamans. To address the potable water scarcity, the Army is moving huge collapsible tanks, often deployed in the deserts, to the affected areas. Major General (General Staff) D S Grewal said the Southern Command was also helping Sri Lanka and Maldives in carrying out rescue work. Each operation has been called Op Sea-Wave (India), Op Rainbow (Sri Lanka) and Op Castor (Maldives).

Two columns of the Army have reached Cuddalore and Nagapattinam, while one column each were engaged in rescue and relief work at Kancheepuram, Kollam, Kalapakkam and Karaikal.

Grewal said engineering and signal task forces of the Army were in the process of moving into Andaman and Nicobar islands.

On relief operations in Sri Lanka, he said the Army had so far despatched 30,000 tonne ration to the neighbouring island nation, while another consignment of 20,000 tonne was ready for offloading.