THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The relief and rescue operations in Wayanad are being led by Kerala and Karnataka sub-area General Officer Commanding (GOC) Major General V T Mathew from Bengaluru, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief (AOC-in-C), Southern Air Command, Air Marshal B Manikantan from Akkulam and Brigadier M P Salil, station commander, Pangode Army camp. Under the aegis of Major General V T Mathew, the 190-metre-long Bailey Bridge is being constructed from Chooralmala to Mundakkai.
The Army officials are expecting to see the relief operations gaining further momentum once the construction of the bridge is completed on Thursday evening. A top Army official told TNIE that the Bailey Bridge, once completed, could bear 24 tonne weight which would help the rescuers carry heavy equipment across the ravaged river. The Army personnel have constructed a pillar in the middle of the river as the length of the bridge is 190 metre.
“The supplies for putting together a portable bridge have been airlifted from New Delhi to Kannur airport. From there, it will be transported in trucks. The Army is building another 170-ft portable bridge, supplies for which were airlifted from Bengaluru which is expected to reach Chooralmala late on Wednesday in 15 trucks,” a top Army official said.
It’s also learned that three sniffer dogs, who are also expert cadaver dogs, trained by the Army would be reaching Chooralmala via Kannur airport in a special Indian Air Force flight from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh.
A senior Army official told TNIE said that a strong force of 170 Army personnel has moved from Pangode Military station to the affected areas.
“The challenges presently being faced by the Army are to reach the actual incident sites as several roads have been washed away,” said senior Army official.