The video of Partap Singh Bajwa, the leader of the Opposition in Punjab, visiting flooded areas of Sultanpur Lodhi in the state’s Kapurthala district on Wednesday, captured public attention, highlighting the vehicle he used to reach stranded citizens: the ATOR N1200.
A specialist mobility vehicle, the ATOR N1200 is an amphibious all-terrain vehicle used by the Indian Army. It was used in rescue operations in Amritsar on Thursday.
Manufactured by JSW Gecko Motors Private Limited, a part of the JSW Group, the vehicles are being used by the administration to assist in rescue and relief operations and reach areas currently cut off by the floods in Punjab.
The company said that four such vehicles have been sent to the flood-affected areas in Amritsar and Sultanpur Lodhi. “These vehicles are operating under the command of the district collector’s office in Amritsar, in coordination with the SDRF [State Disaster Response Force], NDRF [National Disaster Response Force], and the Indian Army,” a JSW Gecko Motors spokesperson said.
According to the company, the vehicles are being used to rescue stranded residents and to deliver food, medicine, and other essential supplies. “The deployment is in response to requests from the civil administration, and our vehicles are meant to support and enhance the efforts of the SDRF teams,” the spokesperson added.
JSW Gecko Motors said it has been engaging with disaster response agencies across states to encourage the inclusion of such vehicles in their inventories. “We hope that after seeing their performance in extreme flood conditions, agencies will consider acquiring them,” the company said.
At present, the vehicles have been provided purely as humanitarian aid, the company clarified. “This is in full support of the ongoing relief efforts being carried out by the civil administration,” the statement said.
