Sappers bag record commendations

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4: Bagging as many as 15 commendations in a single peacetime operation, the 107 quot;Shatrujeetquot; Engineer Regiment ...

CHANDIGARH, Feb 4: Bagging as many as 15 commendations in a single peacetime operation, the 107 quot;Shatrujeetquot; Engineer Regiment has created a record of sorts 8212; the highest tally by any unit for rendering aid to civil authorities in a single go.

Under Operation Madad, the regiment had, in June last year, constructed the country8217;s longest Bailey Suspension Bridge BSB across the Sutlej at Wangtoo in Himachal Pradesh. Till the time the 400-meter bridge, meant to replace the one washed away by floods, was completed, the sappers had temporarily restored transport by constructing rafts and ferries.

Four Sena Medals and one Vishisht Seva MedalVSM were awarded to personnel of the 107 Engineer Regiment by the President on the Republic Day. Other awards include one Chief of the Army Staff8217;s Commendation Card and 10 General Officer Commanding-in-Chief8217;s Commendation Cards.

Besides, officers and men of the regiment have received as many as 31 commendation letters from Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P.K. Dhumal, who had inaugurated the bridge.

In addition, one Sena Medal was awarded to an officer for devotion to duty during the Coimbatore blasts.

The quot;Shatrujeet Bridgequot;, as it has been christened has, meanwhile, been nominated as the Best Bridge in North India by the Mumbai-based Indian Institution of Bridge Engineers.

In August 1997, a cloudburst near Wangtoo, on the Hindustan Tibet Highway, had washed away the 500 ton RCC bridge and submerged three kilometres of road, cutting-off Kinnaur district from rest of the country. Over an 8-month period, sappers pressed two 18-ton rafts and other boats into service and ferried 56,675 persons, 2188 tonnes of essential supplies, 3.23 lakh apple crates and 911 vehicles, ensuring the lifeline of Kinnaur.

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Constructing the bridge itself was a challenge. Turbulent Sutlej, landslides and the quot;back spacequot; just seven meters against the required 45 meters could hardly be considered conducive conditions. Four persons were killed during the construction.

Those awarded Sena Medal are Maj M.J. Kumar, Capt Jagannath Nisenke, Capt Sanjay Chawla Coimbatore and L/Hav G.H. Hassan Khan. Regiment8217;s Commanding Officer Col C.J. Pal has been awarded the VSM, while one of the JCOs, Sub Ram Mehar Singh has been awarded Chief of the Army Staff8217;s Commendation Card.

In addition, Lt Col Khushwant Singh, Nb Sub Shinde Bajirao Baburao, Nb Sub Som Singh, Hav Mule Nagnath Jagannath, Hav Bhola Singh, Nk Jasvir Singh, Hav Govind Salunkhi and Nk Narendar Singh have been awarded the GOC-in-C8217;s Commendation Card.