AIR helps bring Leh families together
With communication lines down and government striving to update victims families on the status of their loved ones, Leh has got a breather with AIR broadcasts being used as a medium between the victims families and also for broadcasting essential government messages and awareness campaigns.
Last week’s cloud burst had left hundreds dead and injured, with the infrastructure of the remote area crippled. However, the staff at the All-India Radio facilities worked overtime and restored partial broadcast facilities within one day of the disaster. Official sources stated that the AIR has been using its facilities at Leh and Choglamsar to broadcast the essential services messages to the communities and has also been telecasting messages called in by families about their loved ones.
“All entertainment broadcasts have been suspended indefinitely unless the situation becomes normal,” sources added.
Only essential messages are being aired as the broadcast facilities are being run on diesel gensets. “We go off air as soon as the broadcast is completed and have sought additional diesel from IOC to maintain the essential link between the government and people,” sources added.
AIR broadcasting facilities are considered to be essential in the inaccessible terrain of the Leh region and are sometimes the only means of communication with the far flung tribal population, sources added.
Official sources stated that Union information and broadcasting minister Ambika Soni has herself intervened and ensured that the broadcast facilities are restored at the earliest. While the FM broadcasts were restored August 7 (within a day of the disaster), the MW and SW transmissions were restored on August 8. Sources stated that additional funds of Rs 80 lakhs have also been sanctioned for the restoration of AIR infrastructure destroyed in the disaster.
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