Panaji, Oct 1 (IANS): The Indian Navy is looking to beef up its sea lifting facilities for effective maritime humanitarian operations for which the assistance of the marine force is often sought, a top naval official said Saturday.

Speaking to reporters in Panaji, flag officer commanding Goa area (FOCGA) rear admiral Sudhir Pillai said that induction of the INS Jalashwa, a former US navy vessel USS Trenton, for relief and rescue operations was a step in that direction.

"The Navy has an important role to play in disaster management as was seen in the 2004 tsunami. We are building on our sea lift capacity by inducting crafts ideally suited for such work like the Jalashwa to make sure we are better prepared for sea lift and humanitarian aid in the future," Pillai said.

The INS Jalashwa, an amphibious floating dock, was commissioned into the Indian Navy in 2007 and its last major operational use was to evacuate Indian nationals from the coast of Libya during the civil conflict there.

"We have used the Jalashawa to rescue the Indian population in Libya," Pillai said, adding that other naval ships which were fitted with armaments and weaponry could not be utilised optimally for humanitarian relief work.