All you need to know about Major Sita Shelke who led 140 jawans to build crucial Wayanad bridge

Wayanad: As the rescue operations in landslide-battered Wayanad continue, a female Indian Army officer, who oversaw the construction of Bailey Bridge, is being hailed for her selfless service.

Major Sita Shelke worked for 31 hours without a break to construct the 190-ft Bailey bridge in Wayanad’s Chooralmala so that the rescue officials could reach the Mundakai hamlet, which was cut off from mainland after the landslides washed away the connecting bridge.

Major Shelke is reportedly the only female officer in the 70-member team from the Army’s Madras Engineering Group (MEG) from Bengaluru.

Known as the ‘Madras Sappers’, this engineering unit is tasked with clearing the way for the army, building bridges, and finding and defusing landmines on a war front. The group also assists in rescue operations during natural disasters and was very active in Kerala during the 2018 floods.

Pictures of Major Shelke, standing atop the bridge, went viral on social media on Friday, breaking all gender stereotypes.

Sharing her image one user wrote: “Proud of you, Major Sita Shelke and the Engineer Regiment. Successfully constructing the Bailey Bridge in Wayanad in less than 24 hours is incredible!.” Local media reports too hailed “tigress” Shelke for her role in speeding up the rescue operations.

Major Shelke, who joined the Army in 2012, hails from Ahmed Nagar in Maharashtra. She completed her training from Chennai OTA.

The bridge made using 19 steel panels is supported by a single pier. These panels were shipped from Bengaluru in 20 trucks to Chooralmala on Tuesday, the same day the landslide struck Wayanad. The Army has also informed that the bridge would remain in Wayanad till a new bridge is constructed by the authorities.

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