I thank the people of India, their Military and Govt. for their quick and kind assistance for the ppl of Maldives in every instance of need — Mohamed Nasheed (@MohamedNasheed) December 5,

NEW DELHI: India lost no time in dispatching drinking water to Maldives on Friday after it received a distress call from Male requesting fresh water supplies as the capital's main water treatment plant was damaged in a fire.India sent 200 tonnes of drinking water through five IAF heavy-lift aircraft and also pressed into service naval warships to supply potable water to Male. PM Narendra Modi used the opportunity to assure Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen that India stood "shoulder to shoulder" with Maldives, saying "together we will take our ties further ahead".Maldives conveyed to foreign minister Sushma Swaraj through her counterpart Dunya Maumoon, the daughter of former president Abdul Gayoom, that Male was in a state of emergency as its 100,000 residents were left without drinking water after the desalination plant there stopped working.Swaraj discussed the issue with Modi after which things moved quickly, allowing an IAF plane carrying potable water to depart for Male early morning. "India was the first country to reach Male with assistance," foreign ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said. "We are ready to help a Saarc neighbour in any way we can," he added.Maldives, according to local media reports, has also requested Sri Lanka, the US and China for help.While India sent 200 tonnes of water on Friday, five more aircraft carrying the same amount of water will reach Male on Saturday. Indian Navy's patrol vessel INS Sukanya reached Male on Friday night and will be stationed there to produce water round the clock to meet the water crisis. It is carrying 35 tonnes of fresh water and has two reverse osmosis (RO) plants onboard which have a capacity of producing 20 tonnes of fresh water per day.Apart from this, a large tanker vessel INS Deepak has also set sail from Mumbai. Two offshore patrol vessels (OPVs) have been kept on standby for any future requirements.The first aircraft, an IL-76, arrived in Male on Friday at 1.15 pm carrying a large consignment of water to meet the immediate requirement. It was received by Col (retd) Mohamed Nazim, minister of defence and national security of Maldives, also the head of the task force set up to deal with the water crisis, along with fisheries minister Shainee, environment minister Thoriq Ibrahim and ambassador Abdul Hameed."Defence minister Nazim expressed his deepest appreciation and heartfelt thanks for India's prompt response to alleviate the problems of Maldivians in the true spirit of our close and time-tested ties," said the Indian high commission in a statement.A major fire broke out at the Male Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) generator control panel on December 4, causing extensive damage to the cabling of the generator to the distillation plants and disconnection of water supply. The only water available at Male is stored in tanks and sumps and is being supplied for one hour every 12 hours.