Major Sita Shelke: Female Face Of The Team Credited With Building Bailey Bridge In Wayanad (Photo @@chennithala)
Major Sita Shelke, the Indian army officer who came to the media spotlight for her role in the construction of the Bailey Bridge in the tragedy-hit Wayanad, has been receiving applauses.
Hailing from Gadilgaon village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra, Sita Shelke, reportedly the sole woman officer in the 70-member team from the Army’s Madras Engineering Group (MEG) based in Bengaluru, worked for 31 hours straight to build a 190-foot Bailey bridge in Chooralmala, Wayanad, to connect the secluded Mundakkai village due to the massive landslides.
Read Also: Exclusive Visuals Of Bailey Bridge Construction In Wayanad’s Mundakkai
In a social media post, the former opposition leader of Kerala, Ramesh Chennithala expressed his gratitude to the female army major for leading the “Bailey Bridge construction at tragedy-hit Wayanad.” “She is a brave heart from Gadilgaon village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra.” the AICC general secretary in charge of Maharashtra wrote on X.
Thank you, Major Sita Shelke, for leading the Bailey Bridge construction at tragedy-hit Wayanad, rescuing the marooned people.She is a brave heart from Gadilgaon village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. pic.twitter.com/MH7s6EG66T
— Ramesh Chennithala (@chennithala) August 2, 2024
The image of the woman military officer walking atop the bridge being constructed by the military went viral on social media, with many noting the presence of female officer in often male-dominated work domains. After finishing her training at the Chennai Officers Training Academy (OTA), Sita Shelke has been in the Army since 2012. As a major of the Madras Engineering Group (MEG), she specialises in clearing the way for the army, building bridges, and detecting and disarming landmines during wartime.
Read Also: Biggest Challenge Rescue Teams Facing In Wayanad – What Official said
Speaking to the news agency PIT, Sita Shelke said she takes extreme pride to in being part of the team in the disaster-hit region. She also thanked her senior officials as well as the locals for their support in supporting the work so that they could transport the dead bodies and injured through the bridge. “I don’t consider myself only as a woman, I’m a soldier, I am here as a representative of the Indian Army. The bridge is the effort of our jawans,” she said, PTI quoted.
VIDEO | Major Sita Shelke, a woman Army engineer from Madras Engineer Group and Centre in Bengaluru, led a team of 140 Army personnel in constructing a Bailey bridge in landslide-hit Wayanad.
“I don’t consider myself only as a woman, I’m a soldier, I am here as a representative… pic.twitter.com/nqEWu6j7vx
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 2, 2024
Constructed within 31 hours using 19 steel panels supported by a single pier, the Bailey Bridge enhanced rescue operation, facilitating the transportation of heavy machinery like excavators and ambulances to reach the epicentre of the tragedy, which had remained isolated.
