CHOORALMALA : After 10 days of relentless rescue efforts, the Indian Army bid an emotional farewell to the people of Wayanad as they began withdrawing from the disaster-stricken areas on Thursday. The Indian Army, Navy, and Ricoh Radar teams were felicitated by the government and district administration during a ceremony at the collectorate.
Although the majority of the 500 army personnel from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Bengaluru battalions have completed their mission, 23 members of the Madras Engineer Group (MEG) and 13 from the downstream search team will remain in Wayanad, along with 36 soldiers continuing the rescue mission. The helicopter search team will also remain active until further instructions.
Army officials informed the media that the team responsible for maintaining the temporary Bailey bridges will also stay in the area. Col. Paramvir Singh Nagra, in charge of the Wayanad mission, expressed gratitude for the support provided by the local community and administration. “The local people and administration offered immense support throughout our mission,” he said.
During the ceremony, ministers P A Mohamed Riyas and A K Saseendran, and District Collector D R Meghashree felicitated the army team. “Since arriving in the disaster area, the soldiers have worked tirelessly alongside other mission teams. We provided them with all the support they needed, and they left feeling appreciated by the government, district administration, and the people,” Riyas said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan also praised the army’s efforts in the rescue mission.
Meanwhile, a public search operation will be conducted in the Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas from 6am to 11am on Friday. A total of 190 survivors currently staying in relief camps or with relatives have registered to participate in the search. The search will involve local representatives, the NDRF, police, fire department, and revenue teams.