- Photo: ANI
NEW DELHI: After a ten-day long rescue mission, the Indian Army personnel have partially withdrawn from the search operations in the landslide-hit regions of Wayanad on Thursday (Aug 8).
The Army ended the mission after handing over the rescue operation to the forces of the NDRF, SDRF, Fire Force and Kerala Police.
The Indian Army battalion comprising around 500 members from Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Bengaluru have started returning from Wayanad.
However, the Army is not leaving completely.
A small contingent will remain in the area to maintain the Bailey bridge and to assist with the search operations in difficult to access areas deep in the forests along the Chaliyar River.
The Army was deployed in the disaster-hit regions of Wayanad soon after the multiple landslides that hit Churalmala and Kandakkai areas in Wayanad on July 30.
The state government, the district administration, and the local community gave a heart-warming and emotional farewell to the Army personnel on Thursday.
People from all walks of life came together to bid adieu to the Indian Army personnel.
Speaking on the occasion, Kerala PWD minister Mohammed Riyas thanked the Army for the service they rendered in the search and rescue operations in the landslide-hit areas in Wayanad.
"They have fulfilled their duty completely. They ensured that no lives were lost after their arrival," Riyas said.
Col Paramvir Singh Nagra, in charge of the Army’s Wayanad Mission, stated that the local people and administration provided immense support in the rescue and search operation.
As the soldiers departed, they were met with an outpouring of emotions, with local residents, officials, and well wishers lining the streets to offer their heartfelt thanks and good wishes to them. - The Statesman/ANN
