Moving men, materials from afar even to the challenging terrain of Wayanad

More than 470 army personnel were involved in the rescue operations in Wayanad. | Photo credit: Special arrangement.

It was around 4:30 am on Tuesday when senior Indian Army officers in Chennai received the first call about two landslides in Kerala’s Wayanad district. Within hours, the Dakshin Bharat Army Area Command in Chennai put together a comprehensive rescue and relief plan and mobilized personnel, sniffer dogs and equipment from as far as Delhi and Meerut.

“Since we were already on standby after the orange alert, we were able to move our personnel within hours of receiving the information,” a senior army officer told The Hindu. By 12:30 on Tuesday, personnel from the 122nd Battalion of the Territorial Army were on the scene. Reinforcements were sent after their entries. Personnel of the Defense Security Corps (DSC) unit in Kannur soon reached the spot.

Lt Gen Karanbir Singh Brar, General Officer Commanding, Dakshin Bharat Region monitored the rescue and relief efforts from Chennai. The rescue teams from the places drew attention to the need for a fort. Personnel from the Madras Engineer Group (aka Madras Sappers) moved the fort from Bengaluru and reached the area at 2 am on Wednesday, the officer said.

The Indian Army is building a 190-foot Bailey Bridge in Wayanad

An officer from the paratrooper regiment took command of the rescue and relief operations. “Since the fort from Bengaluru could only be used in limited stretches, the bridges were brought from Delhi. The personnel of the Engineer Regiment along with the long yards were flown by an Indian Air Force C-17 Globemaster from Delhi and arrived at Kozhikode.

It took about 25 vehicles to move the rampart components into place. “There were problems. There was no electricity, it was raining and trucks with men and equipment had to cross difficult terrain in the dark. Because there were no cell towers in some areas, satellite phones were used,” he said. The longest bailey bridge at the site is now 190 feet long.

Sniffer dogs were airlifted from Remount Veterinary Corps Center and College, Meerut. “These dogs are trained to sense if people are trapped inside and if they are alive.” The military is also using drones to cover previously inaccessible locations.

Although men and machines were mobilized, deployment took some time as the roads were muddy and slippery, with fallen trees and branches strewn everywhere. Some roads just disappeared. “The men actually got out at a distance to clear the trees along the way so the equipment on the trucks could move forward.”

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 470 Army personnel, including about 20 commissioned officers and 25 junior commissioned officers, and more than 80 trucks, along with other agencies, were involved in the rescue effort. Medical personnel from the military hospital in Kannur also joined the effort.

Published – 02 Aug 2024 02:22 IST