A photo of a woman Indian Army officer standing on the railings of the newly-constructed Bailey Bridge in landslide-ravaged Chooralmala village in Wayanad with an absolute sense of satisfaction, pride and purpose, has gone viral on social media, amidst the countless images of the tragic wreckage left by the calamity.
Social media is flooded with congratulatory messages saluting the Indian Army and the officer for her bravery and commitment.
The photo was of Major Seeta Ashok Shelke, the sole female officer in the Indian Army unit that completed constructing the Bailey Bridge to expedite the rescue of villagers stranded in remote areas.
The Madras Engineer Group (MEG) and Centre overcame the loads of debris, uprooted trees and a rapidly flowing river to complete the construction of the bridge in just 31 hours, and Shelke was there leading the group of soldiers as they worked tirelessly.
"I don't consider myself as the only woman here; I am a soldier. I am here as a representative of the Indian Army and take immense pride in being a part of this launching team," a tireless looking Shelke told PTI, while hurrying to rush to another spot where her colleagues are engaged in rescue work.
The efforts of Shelke and her MEG colleagues have now given a major boost to the rescue efforts in the landslide-ravaged areas of Wayanad.
Shelke, who hails from Gadilgaon Village, Ahmed Nagar in Maharashtra, does not consider the successful construction of the bridge a success story of the army alone. "I must convey my thanks to all the local authorities, state officials, and everyone who has helped us from different places. Special thanks to the locals, villagers and state officials," she said.
She was also thankful to her seniors in the army, who bestowed confidence in her and allowed her to continue her work in Wayanad.
"I would like to thank all my seniors, senior officials under their guidance, my senior Brigadier Ajay Singh Thakur, he is our commander of MIG Centre. And all my troops, Because of them I was able to launch this bridge. It is the efforts of our jawans," she added.
Major Shelke has been relentlessly working in the disaster-hit areas, attending to every exigency, foregoing sleep and even regular meals.
She and her team worked tirelessly so that many people could be saved and bodies of the dead could be recovered without much delay.
The construction faced significant challenges due to heavy rainfall and limited space for the bridge construction.
Despite these obstacles, Major Shelke and her team managed to ensure the successful construction of the bridge, which remains the only route for ongoing rescue operations.
Major Shelke, as she rightly claimed, was not ready to restrict herself to the gender roles and has been working on similar terms as her male colleagues in the landslide site.
Several journalists flocked to her, asking her to share her experience.
"I am sorry, there is a troop waiting for me and we have very important things to complete. I need to rush to them," Major Shelke said, excusing herself, and rushed to the next spot where her services are most needed.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Telegraph Online staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.
