Wayanad landslides: All you need to know about how the Bailey bridge was built
A British-era bridge connecting Mundakkai and Chooralmala was devastated by the triple landslides that occurred on July 30, making it difficult for rescuers to reach stranded residents on both sides of the Iruvanjippuzha river. The strong current of the river and heavy rainfall hampered the rescue efforts through ropes and a temporary bridge, which is when the Indian Army started the construction of Bailey bridge, a makeshift bridge that was developed during World War 2. Around 150 soldiers of the Madras Engineer Group, known as the Madras Sappers, were involved in the construction process.
In a span of 33 hours, the construction of the bridge was completed in the same place where the original bridge existed. The work commenced at around 9 am on July 31 and was completed at around 6 pm on August 1. As per tradition, senior-most officer Mathews went first on the newly-constructed bridge in a jeep, followed by a military truck and ambulance to test the stability of the 190-foot bridge. The steel truss bridge can carry a load capacity of 24 tonnes. The bridge has a width of three metres and can transport earthmovers, excavators, trucks, and other vehicles. Until now, relief materials were only transported in jeeps.
Major Seeta Ashok Shelke from Madras Sappers led the construction efforts. Speaking to TNM, she said they faced a lot of challenges, such as transportation of materials, as it was the only road connecting Mundakkai and Chooralmala. “We did not have enough space in this area. The area was also heavily flooded and the downpour added to the problems. This is the only road for the recovery of dead bodies, rescuing missing persons and evacuating villagers. Hence, it was very crowded. Our boys have done a wonderful job. I would like to thank the local authorities,” she said.
Further, the officer said that the bridge was the lifeline for the village with the rest of the world. “I am just a small drop in the ocean. We just did our job. As part of the Indian Army, it is our job to help the people.”
The effort
According to Major General VT Mathews, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Karnataka and Kerala Sub Area, efforts were taken to construct the bridge soon after the disaster struck on Tuesday, July 30. The panels of the bridge were brought from Bengaluru to Chooralmala in 20 trucks. As many as 19 panels were used for the bridge, supported by a single pier. In the evening hours, officers from the Madras Sappers recced the area. On Wednesday, July 31, 144 soldiers and two officers started the construction work. Even though harsh weather conditions and limited space at the mouth of the bridge affected the pace of the work, the construction continued through the night, with the staff taking breaks only for food.
The soldiers, on August 1, Thursday, constructed another temporary bridge in three hours to help search teams and relief efforts. The Army handed over the bridge to Kerala Minister K Rajan on Thursday, following which it became operational. Brigadier Para Regimental Arjun Segan, who is part of the rescue operations, told TNM that the bridge could collapse but it would last for 10-15 years. “As long as the load on the bridge does not exceed, there are no chances of it collapsing,” he added.
What makes it special?
In times of natural calamities and emergency situations, Bailey bridges are constructed in difficult terrains that have steep slopes. Since the components of Bailey bridges – the floor, the stringers and the side panels – are prefabricated, they can be transported to a place in need and assembled on the spot. The structure can hold huge amounts of weight due to the truss pattern and the way it is assembled.
The time taken by the Indian Army to construct a Bailey bridge in Kerala is among the shortest time taken to do so ever. A case in point is the 200-foot Bailey bridge in Uttarakhand, which connects 13 villages in Chamoli district. The Border Roads Organisation took 26 days to construct this bridge over the Rishi Ganga river during flash floods in 2017. The Indian Army in Assam took around 72 hours to construct a 70-foot Bailey bridge in Sikkim recently in June. The first ever Bailey bridge in India was constructed in Kerala’s Ranni in Pathanamthitta district.