Sridharan J

Biography

Sapper Sridharan J served with the 18 Engineering Regiment of the Corps of Engineers, one of the oldest arms of the Indian Army, tracing its origins to the Madras Sappers raised in 1780. Combat engineers provide mobility to their own troops by building bridges, tracks and helipads, while denying the same to the enemy. His unit specialised in bridge and track construction and was well equipped with skilled men and material. In 2005, Sapper Sridharan was posted with the 18 Engineering Regiment based at Chandimandir, Punjab. In June that year, the Indian Army was tasked with rebuilding four bridges at Kharo, Khab, Leo and Akpa in Himachal Pradesh, which had been washed away in the Parechu lake floods. These bridges were vital lifelines for the upper Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti regions. On 8 September 2005, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Amardeep Singh, Sapper Sridharan and about 40 soldiers began work on the bridge at Kharo on National Highway 22, the Hindustan-Tibet Road. As they were fixing wooden slabs on the iron beams of the 60-metre span, the bridge suddenly collapsed at its centre, likely due to a technical fault, and the soldiers fell into the Sutlej river. Sapper Sridharan laid down his life in the line of duty.