Uttarakhand tunnel accident rescue operation continues: Eight days have passed since the incident in which 41 laborers were trapped after the tunnel under construction in Silkyara village of Uttarkashi caved in, but not a single laborer has been taken out. Because of this, there is despair among these laborers and their families. The morale of the workers trapped inside is breaking, while on the other hand, their colleagues and family members are angry over the failure of the administration.
Vertical drilling will be done with a machine procured from Indore.
According to a BBC report, the auger machine brought from Delhi to evacuate these laborers has stopped working since Friday (November 17) evening. A new machine has been brought from Indore which is now being taken 200 meters inside the tunnel so that the stalled work can be carried forward. Now instead of drilling horizontally i.e. from the front, holes will be drilled vertically i.e. from above so that the debris can be easily removed.
Till now, a 24 meter hole has been made in the debris spread over 70 meters inside the tunnel. However, this is not even half, hence it is being claimed that it may still take at least 4-5 days to make arrangements to evacuate the workers.
PMO advisor has visited the incident site
On Saturday (November 18), the seventh day of the accident, Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Deputy Secretary Mangesh Ghildiyal and former advisor to the Prime Minister and Officer on Special Duty of Uttarakhand Government Bhaskar Khulbe visited the incident site. After discussions held in a special meeting regarding the strategy of the rescue operation, he announced that the rescue operation will now run on five fronts to rescue the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel accident.
Escape tunnel is being built for laborers
According to the report of news agency IANS, to safely rescue 41 laborers trapped inside the tunnel, escape tunnels will be built in the right and left parts of the tunnel and vertical drilling will be done from the hill above the tunnel. For this, four places have been identified on the hill where drilling will be easy. Tunnel construction work has also started from the Polgaon part of the tunnel. Khulbe has taken information about this accident and the rescue operation from the officials deployed by the Central Government for the rescue operation and the officials of NHIDCL, a Government of India undertaking that is constructing the tunnel.
Food being delivered through pipeline
Nutritious food supplements and ORS are being sent to the workers trapped inside through the pipeline, which has become the lifeline for the workers trapped inside the tunnel. Meanwhile, Uttarkashi District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela, rescue operation leader Colonel Deepak Patil and NHIDCL Director Anshu Manish Khalko are standing at the accident site. Ruhela said that various telecom agencies have been instructed to increase communication facilities in Silkyara for which the work of installation of towers and other equipment has started. The disaster management center of the district is also continuously cooperating in the rescue operation.
Resentment among workers’ families
Here, due to the delay in the rescue operation, resentment is increasing among the families of the workers and the co-workers. According to a BBC report, Mrityunjay Kumar, who worked as a loader and operator in the tunnel construction project, says, “We are also trying to convince the workers trapped inside. But it has been a week. They are healthy but now their The morale is gradually breaking. They are saying how many days will they survive by eating dry food. They are asking us whether we are trying to get them out or giving them false solace.”
There is no arrangement for the family members
Another person Vikram Singh has come from Champaur district of Uttarakhand. His 24 year old younger brother is trapped inside the tunnel. He talked to his brother through the pipe on Friday. Vikram says, “The voice was coming softly. He said he was fine but nervous.”
Similarly, the families of almost all the laborers have come here. Everyone alleges that no arrangement for their accommodation has been made by the administration, nor are the officials giving them any preference. There is resentment among the families of the workers trapped inside that even after almost 8 days, no effective work has been done.
The accident happened on Diwali day
Let us tell you that on Sunday, November 12, the day of Diwali, the tunnel under construction caved in after a landslide, in which 41 laborers are trapped. The tunnel is part of the ambitious Chardham project, a national infrastructure initiative to increase connectivity to Badrinath, Kedarnath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Sunday is the 8th day of the operation to get out of the tunnel but the machines used so far have failed. The pile of debris could not be removed due to which the morale of the workers is breaking.
Also read: Uttarkashi Tunnel Accident: Tunnel accident happened due to the wrath of Baba Khaufnaag! Temple built at the mouth of the tunnel, worship started with rituals
