At the time of writing this report, the landslide tragedy in Wayanad, Kerala had claimed the lives of 358 people and more than 250 were reported missing. There was a horrific scene of bodies recovered from the rubble, scattered human organs and injured people crying for help. There was a struggle to safely evacuate the injured and the buried people and provide them treatment. In the midst of this scene of tragedy, in this fearful and mournful environment of screams, flood of tears, there were some pictures that were comforting, were creating courage, enthusiasm and positivity. Even in this environment full of challenges and troubles, these pictures become the basis of a slight smile. These pictures are of those soldiers and volunteers who are engaged in relief and rescue work. Among such pictures, a different picture was seen of Major Sita Ashok Shelke of the Indian Army.
Major Sita Ashok Shelke, the only woman officer in the team of 70 male members of the Madras Engineer Group of the Indian Army, is standing proudly on the railing of the newly built Bailey Bridge in Chooralmala village affected by the landslide in Wayanad. These photos of Major Sita have attracted a lot of attention from the people on social media. All digital platforms are filled with congratulatory messages to the Indian Army and the officer for their bravery and commitment, as Major Shelke’s pictures stand out among the many pictures of the devastation of the disaster.
In fact, the bridge on which Major Sita Ashok Shelke is standing was built by the soldiers under her leadership in a record time of just 31 hours, crossing debris, uprooted trees and a fast-flowing river. In few pictures Major Sita Ashok Shelke is working hard, with other soldiers, to build the bridge (beily bridge). The construction of this bridge was very important in the relief and rescue work.
The brave soldiers are working continuously in the disaster-affected areas and fulfilling all kinds of needs there. Not only this, the army here is also sacrificing sleep and even regular meals. In such a situation, Major Sita and her team have worked tirelessly so that many people could be saved and the bodies could be recovered without any delay. Due to heavy rains and limited space many challenges were faced in bridge construction. Despite these obstacles, Major Shelke and his team ensured the successful construction of the bridge, which remains the only way for the ongoing rescue operations.
A trained engineer, Major Sita Ashok Shelke hails from Gadilgaon village in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra. She graduated in mechanical engineering from a college in Ahmednagar. In fact, Major Sita’s father Ashok Bhikaji Shelke is a lawyer by profession and Major Sita wanted to become an Indian Police Service officer by passing the UPSC exam. Well, during this time she changed direction and got inclined towards the army. After three attempts, she got success in SSB and Major Sita completed her training from the Officers Training Academy (OTA) in Chennai and became a part of the army in 2012.
Major Sita got full support from her family when she chose a career in engineering and the army. Major Sita’s determination, perseverance, courage and passion to work hard and get others to work hard are an example. It is also an inspiration for many. Especially for those girls who want to serve the country by joining the army. .
The army unit in which Major Sita Ashok Shelke is posted is entrusted with many challenging tasks like clearing the way for the army, building bridges and finding and defusing landmines during war. Apart from this, the unit also helps in immediate rescue operations during natural disasters. This unit was also very active during the 2018 floods in Kerala.
Indian Army evacuates two injured volunteers from Soojipara Hills:
The Ghatak team of Maratha Light Infantry (MLI) evacuated two volunteers Salim (36 years) and Muhsin (32 years) from Soojipara Hills who were found stranded in Chooralmala near Bailey Bridge through a helicopter. Both these volunteers got injured when they were engaged in the work of removing human bodies in Soojipara Hills. Both of them climbed to that place a day before and could not come down due to severe injuries to their legs while climbing.
