Silkyara, Barkot are among those areas of Uttarkashi which receive heavy snowfall. Due to the hilly soil, it becomes light and starts sinking after the rains.
उत्तराखंड: सिल्कयारा सुरंग में फंसे मजदूर कब आएंगे बाहर? बर्फबारी का खतरा, IMD का येलो अलर्ट
Continuous efforts are going on to rescue 41 laborers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. Today is the 15th day of the ongoing operation to rescue the workers from the tunnel. The work of laying the last 10 meter pipe of 80 cm diameter, which will be delivered to take the workers out of the tunnel, is not being done for the last three days. The auger machine used for drilling broke down on Saturday.
Another disturbing news has come to light amid the rescue operation. The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for Uttarakhand regarding rain and snowfall. According to the alert, there is a possibility of snowfall along with heavy rain in the upper areas of Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Almora. In such a situation, if there is rain and snowfall, there may be difficulties in the rescue operation.
Silkyara, Barkot are among those areas of Uttarkashi which receive heavy snowfall. Due to the hilly soil, it becomes light and starts sinking after the rains. In such a situation, the support on which the pipe inserted inside the tunnel rests and the safety of the people engaged in the rescue operation here will be a big challenge. If there is snowfall, the rescue operation may be affected. Electricity problems may arise after snowfall. Apart from this, due to increasing cold, problems for the workers in the tunnel will also increase.
How far did the rescue operation reach?
So far, 46.9 meters of drilling has been done in the debris. The length of the collapsed part of the tunnel is about 60 meters. According to CM Dhami, about 20 parts of the blade have been cut off and a plasma cutter is being airlifted from Hyderabad to complete the remaining work. He said that when this happens ‘manual drilling’ will start.
After the rescue operation was halted due to the blade of the auger machine getting stuck in the debris, other options are being considered. On Saturday, international experts expressed hope that workers would be out by Christmas next month. Drilling work was disrupted for almost the entire day on Friday, although the seriousness of the problem became known on Saturday when Arnold Dix, an international expert on tunneling, said the auger machine had broken down.
Now officials have focused on two options. ‘Drilling’ by hand into the remaining 10 or 12 meters of debris or drilling down 86 meters from the top. At the same time, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain told journalists in Delhi that this operation may take a long time.
According to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, equipment has already been inserted into the pipe inside which manual drilling is to be done, which is being removed. As soon as it comes out, drilling will be started by hand. Apart from this, heavy equipment for vertical ‘drilling’ was taken to the 1.5 kilometer hill road on Saturday. This route has been prepared by the Border Roads Organisation.
Food, medicines and other essential items are being sent to the workers through 6 inch wide pipes. Communication system has been established through pipes. Through this, the team of doctors of NDRF is also continuously talking to the families of the workers. An endoscopic camera has also been inserted into the tunnel through the pipe, through which rescue workers are able to see the situation inside. The workers trapped in the tunnel are safe, but their morale is breaking as the days pass.
A part of the tunnel being built on the Chardham Yatra route in Uttarkashi had collapsed on November 12, the day of Diwali, due to which 41 workers working in it were trapped. Since then, different agencies are carrying out massive rescue operations to get them out.
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