Chennai:
Nearly a month has passed but there is no clue of Indian Air Force’s transport aircraft that went missing with 29 crew on July 22 as India launched one of the massive surface and under water search.
While the hope is now fully on the two research vessels Geological Survey of India’s Samudra Ratnakar and National Institute of Ocean Technology vessel Sagarnidhi which are conducting underwater search using multi-beam echo sounder,a type of sonar which is used to map the sea bed, it is learnt the vessels have yet to locate the debris on the sea floor.
Sources in GSI said that they have surveyed 14,400 square kilometres and found 14 linear objects. But it is yet to be ascertained whether they belong to missing aircraft. It is learnt that GSI will conducting a survey again of the same stretch.
GSI scientists are focussing more on the back scattered data study employing echo-sounding systems towards the interpretation of seafloor. Scientists believe since they have already surveyed the area the back scattered data would reflect any variation on the floor of the sea.
Similarly, NIOT vessel Sagarnidhi has also found objects under the sea but then defence sources said it has to be ascertained whether it belongs to the missing aircraft. Currently, Sagarnidhi has surveyed 5,500 to 6,000 square kilometres of the ocean floor.
Defence sources said that vessels conducting surface search has been reduced. “We are equally worried over the delay in finding the aircraft as we have to answer to the families,” said sources.
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