Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: The Centre announced yesterday that it has completed a five-option action plan to rescue the 41 workmen who have been stuck inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand for more than a week. Anurag Jain, the secretary of transportation and highways, announced that five different agencies would work on these possibilities, which entail drilling from three sides in order to reach the stranded workers. “The government has taken a decision to work on all fronts to save the precious lives,” he said.
Choosing the Rescue Path
The choice was made during a high-level meeting after a number of ideas were considered and professional assistance was sought. “Five options were decided and five different agencies were detailed to carry out these options. Five agencies namely Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), Rail Vikas Nigam Limited(RVNL), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDCL) have been assigned responsibilities,” he said.
According to Jain, the Indian Army‘s construction unit and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have also been supporting the rescue effort.
The Five Options
- To free the stranded labourers, Satluj Jail Vidyut Nigam is vertically drilling from the top of the tunnel.
- The Border Roads Organisation finished an approach road in a single day, and now the Rail Vikas Nigam is starting construction on another vertical pipeline for supplies that are needed.
- With its experience in deep drilling, the ONGC has begun work on vertical drilling from a different angle.
- Once the safety procedures are worked out, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development body will proceed with drilling from the major Silkyara end. The Army has prepped the box culvert to make this easier. To protect the safety of the workforce, a canopy framework is being built.
- The Tehri Hydro Development Corporation has already mobilised heavy machinery to work on microtunnelling.
Full Support for Ongoing Rescue Effort
During their conversation today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami his utmost support for the ongoing effort to free the trapped workers. As per the Chief Minister’s office, the Prime Minister stated that it is imperative to preserve the workers’ morale. For the families holding vigil outside the tunnel, the wait has been excruciating. After talking to a few of the labourers, family members reported that the labourers’ voices were growing softer and their strength appeared to be waning.
Workers Sustained with Food, Water, and Oxygen
The workers are receiving food, water, and oxygen supplies while rescue crews put in extra hours in the hopes of making progress. Yesterday, Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister of Road Transport Nitin Gadkari visited the tunnel collapse site. According to Gadkari, keeping the workers alive came first. We should be able to reach them in the next two to three days, assuming the auger machine functions properly. BRO (Border Roads Organisation) is building roads in order to bring in specialised machinery.
Physicians Stress Full Rehabilitation for Confined Workers
Physicians have also emphasised that the confined workers must receive full rehabilitation, as they fear extended confinement may require mental and physical healing. After a section of the tunnel collapsed last Sunday, the 41 workers were left stranded. According to officials, food and water are being provided to all workers via steel pipes that have been drilled into the opening, and everyone is safe. The ambitious Char Dham project, a national infrastructure initiative to improve connectivity to the Hindu pilgrimage sites of Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, includes the tunnel that is currently under construction.
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