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- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

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Wayanad's New Lifeline: Indian Army Constructs 190-ft Bridge in Record Time!

In the wake of catastrophic landslides on July 30, the Indian Army demonstrated its strong commitment to public service by constructing a 190-ft Bailey bridge in Wayanad, Kerala. The landslides had wreaked havoc in the villages of Mundakkai and Chooralmala, leaving them isolated from the rest of the district. As rescue operations intensified, the need for a robust and reliable means of transport became crucial. The Madras Engineering Group of the Indian Army initiated the construction of the bridge at 9:30 p.m. on July 31 and completed it by 5:30 p.m. on August 1. This swift and efficient operation ensured a vital lifeline was restored to the affected areas. The Class 24 Bailey Bridge, spanning the Iruvazhinjipuzha river, can withstand up to 24 tonnes, making it crucial for relief efforts and future transport needs. Source:Google Images  A Community's Lifeline The torrential rains triggered landslides in the early hours of July 30, catching many residents off guard. The devastating force destroyed existing infrastructure, including the previous bridge, isolating Mundakkai and Chooralmala. In the immediate aftermath, rescue workers built temporary wooden bridges to evacuate and aid stranded villagers. However, these makeshift structures were no match for the relentless rains and soon failed. Dedicated Efforts in the Face of Adversity Despite challenging conditions, the Indian Army, alongside the Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and local police, mobilized with determination to save lives and provide essential services. The rescue mission involved over 1,600 dedicated workers, demonstrating a commendable spirit of cooperation and commitment. The materials for the Bailey bridge were rapidly transported from Delhi and Bengaluru to Kannur airport, and then conveyed to Wayanad in 17 trucks, highlighting the urgency and scale of the operation. Leadership and Coordination Major General V.T. Mathew, General Officer Commanding of the Kerala and Karnataka Sub-Area, oversaw the construction and was the first to cross the newly built bridge in his official vehicle. This act symbolized not only the completion of the bridge but also the resilience and determination of the Indian Army. Following Major General Mathew, an Army medical unit and a military truck crossed the bridge, marking its official handover to the civil administration. The Bridge's Significance The newly constructed Bailey bridge not only restored connectivity but also symbolized hope for the affected communities. The Defence PRO poignantly captured this sentiment in a social media post, stating, "From #Landslide to #Lifeline. When nature knocked down a bridge, #IndianArmy swiftly constructed a more resilient one. True to form, the Army Commander fearlessly led the way across the #BaileyBridge." As Wayanad recovers from this natural disaster, the presence of a sturdy bridge provides a foundation for rebuilding and rehabilitation. It enables the continued delivery of aid and resources to the affected areas, ensuring that the local population can begin the long process of recovery. In the face of adversity, the Indian Army's efforts in Wayanad highlight the importance of preparedness, quick response, and community support. It shows the unbreakable spirit of those dedicated to serving their nation, even in the most challenging of times.

2 Aug 2024
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Know Why This Rice Festival of Wayanad Is Significant for the People of India

A rice festival also called Ikki Jathre in local parlance was recently held in Wayanad whereby around 300 varieties of rice were planted on 1.5 acres of land. Thanal, a Kerala-based nonprofit, conducted this groundbreaking conservation experiment at its agroecology center in Panavally, Wayanad. With a collection of 30 different types of rice, Thanal started the Rice Diversity Block (RDB) at Panavally as part of the Save Our Rice campaign in 2009; it has since grown to 300 varieties. The aim of this festival is to make people aware of the importance of preserving traditional crops that can endure extreme weather conditions. The farmers would bring back seeds from the event and spread them by exchanging them with their friends when they got home from it. The consumption of traditional rice crops is currently being promoted.  The diverse types of rice are mostly sourced from Kerala, Karnataka, Assam, Tamil Nadu, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, and West Bengal. There are three traditional rice varieties from Vietnam and Thailand.  The campaign attempts to increase public awareness of the importance of protecting native crops that can withstand harsh weather. Additionally, the event provides a place for tribal farmers and subject matter experts to work together on knowledge creation and knowledge sharing. Due to climate change, crops have to undergo tough conditions like extreme heat, changing rainfall patterns, and floods. Therefore, it becomes imperative to promote indigenous variety of crops as they are proven to withstand harsh weather conditions.

20 Dec 2022
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Wayanad Leads the Way: First District in the Country to Provides Essential Documents to All Tribes in India

  Kerala's Wayanad becomes the first district in the nation to offer basic services and documentation including Aadhaar cards, ration cards, birth and death certificates, election ID cards, bank accounts, and health insurance to members of all tribes. In addition to essential basic documents, the camps also offer other services including income certificates, ownership certificates, age certificates, and applications for new pensions.   As part of the Akshaya Big Campaign for Document Digitization (ABCD) campaign, the Wayanad district administration achieved the outstanding feat by offering 1,42,563 services to as many as 64,670 tribal people. In addition, the ABCD campaign provided digital lockers to 22,888 people, 31,252 Aadhar cards, 11,300 birth certificates, 15,796 households with ration cards, and 22,488 voters' identity cards.  The campaign was introduced in November 2021, in Thondarnadu grama panchayat. District Collector A Geetha IAS stated that the procedure started with a survey by special tribal promoter officers to identify citizens lacking basic documentation, followed by the scheduling of special camps with the involvement of all concerned departments. The effort aims to provide all Scheduled Tribes community members with access to essential documents, which are digitalized and preserved in special DigiLocker accounts created for them.  Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi praised the district administration for the accomplishment. In a tweet, he applauded the collective efforts of the District admin, local bodies & people’s representatives for this initiative. 

25 Jan 2023
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This Village in Kerala Sets an Example To Combat Climate Change With a Unique Initiative

The tree banking initiative of the Meenangadi panchayat in Wayanad district is gaining momentum thanks to the collective efforts of farmers who are on a crusade to make their village carbon neutral.  The initiative proposed by the NGO Thanal was received with great enthusiasm as farmers are entitled to a financial incentive. The project involves geo-tagging trees and submitting land tax receipts and Adhaar card numbers at the panchayat office. The farmer will then get  Rs 50 annually for each tree, as long as s/he does not cut them down. Dr. TM Thomas Issac, a former finance minister for Kerala, came up with the concept. Thanal contributed to the development of a model that, after doing a thorough study, determined that Wayanad had excess emissions of 11,412 tonnes of carbon dioxide. It was determined to plant trees based on their importance of carbon sequestration, medicinal and spiritual purposes, economic value, growth rate, and canopy area, after discussions with forest officials and agricultural specialists. Speaking to 101Reporters, Thanal's executive director Jayakumar C said that climate change was the main challenge they were facing. Tree banking turned out to be a successful initiative in their effort to design a project that is carbon neutral. Under this project, an estimate of the amount of carbon and the number of trees required to be planted to offset it was taken. The next step was how to inspire the farmers to maintain the trees and refrain from felling them after a few decades.  As a result, the concept of rewarding farmers for caring for the trees was developed. The farmers were given incentives annually and it became a win-win situation for them.

16 Dec 2022
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Two New Species Of Insects Discovered In Wayanad

A new species of jumping spider and millipede have made their home in the Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary. They have been discovered by researchers from Centre for Animal Taxonamy and Ecology. The researchers found the new species of jumping spider very interesting. The male spider of the species is orange in colour while the females are light green coloured. Sudhikumar A V, principal investigator and Head of CATE, who led the study said that the male and female spiders of the species can easily be mistaken for two separate species. There is a longitudinal black stripe on the dorsal surface of the abdomen in the male spider and their elongated legs have long black lines. The female spider camouflages its appearance and it is very difficult to spot it in the green foliage. The spider is usually seen in the monsoon season and feeds on small insects in the foliage. It has been named ‘Hindumane Wayanadensis’. According to Sudhikumar, the first part of the scientific name 'Hindumanes' was given as the genus was present only in Hindustan.   The same team of researchers also found a new species of millipede which they named ‘Anoplodesmus wayanadensis’. Research scholars Sudhin P P, Nafin K S and Pooja Anilkumar took part in the study that was funded by the department of science and technology, Government of India.The discovery has been published in the latest issue of Zootaxa, an international scientific journal of natural history.  

24 Nov 2017
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