Women commandos guard bridge repair work in Naxal area

Raipur: In a first, the Chhattisgarh police deployed women commandos in a forested area of insurgency-hit Bijapur district to provide security for a bridge repair work.

The bridge, spanning a rivulet which flows into the Indravati river, had been damaged by Naxals 11 years ago.

Its repair would benefit over 3,000 residents of four villages in the Bhairamgarh area.

"A squad of 30 women police personnel, trained in carrying out all types of anti-Maoist operations, was deployed at Tindori village to ensure security for the repair work," Deputy Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P said.

The work was completed on Thursday.

"It is the first time that such a task was accomplished by women commandos in Bastar," he said.

In 2006, Maoists damaged the bridge, severing the link between Tindori, Daler, Viriabhoomi and Aadwada villages and the rest of Bhairamgarh Development Block, 400 km from state capital Raipur.

Last month, the district authorities decided to get the bridge repaired under round-the-clock security.