A Navy helicopter will be deployed to search for people believed to be missing beneath debris after a landslide in Ganjam district, Odisha Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari said on October 31, as rescue teams continued efforts at the affected site.
According to the minister’s statement reported by The Samaja, the helicopter will use advanced technology to scan the area and determine whether anyone is trapped beneath the soil. It is scheduled to travel to Bhanjanagar from Bhubaneswar airport for the search operation.
The deployment is intended to speed up the search for missing people in the landslide-affected area. The administration has prioritised locating those reported missing and rescuing any people who may still be alive beneath the debris, the report said.
The operation is being conducted through a combination of aerial search, ground excavation and specialist support. More than 100 workers have been engaged at the site, while machinery is being used to remove soil and rocks blocking access to the affected area.
The administration has also sought assistance from the Railways. A railway specialist team is expected to travel to Ganjam to support the rescue effort, although the report did not specify the team’s composition, equipment or precise role at the site.
The use of a Navy helicopter adds an aerial capability to an operation otherwise centred on clearing debris and searching the landslide zone from the ground. The report said the helicopter’s scanning technology would be used to identify whether people were trapped under the soil, but it did not provide details about the equipment, the search area or the expected duration of the aerial operation.
The response highlights the need to coordinate multiple agencies during a landslide, particularly when access to affected areas is obstructed by soil and rock. In this case, the reported mobilisation includes the state administration, the Navy, railway personnel and workers operating debris-removal machinery.
The immediate operational challenge remains locating the missing people while clearing the debris safely. The minister’s statement did not provide a confirmed number of missing people, details of casualties, the exact location of the landslide or an estimated completion time for the rescue operation.
The Navy helicopter is expected to depart from Bhubaneswar airport for Bhanjanagar, while the railway specialist team is scheduled to visit Ganjam. Ground teams and workers will continue removing soil and rocks at the affected site as the search proceeds.
