Uttarakhand tunnel collapse rescue: BRO begins building roads for passage of rescue ops machines

In the ongoing mission to rescue the trapped workers in the tunnel, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said on Monday that they are working to swiftly evacuate all the workers with top priority on their safety.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is building roads near the Silkyara site to allow machines to pass through to rescue the 41 workers stuck inside the 4.5-km tunnel for the last 10 days.  A part of the Silkyara tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi on November 12.

"We are going up the hill for the construction of the road. A total of 37 workers are going up. We have achieved our target of road construction and machines have also reached...", said Saroj Manjhi, a BRO worker.

Also Read: Experts point out key issues of building infra in Himalayan region

Meanwhile, officials told PTI that drilling has resumed at the Silkyara tunnel and pipes have been pushed up to 32 metres.  According to the Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, "The location for vertical drilling has been identified. Road work for vertical drilling on the hill above the tunnel is almost complete. More than 350 meters of road construction work is complete."

Major Naman Narula, BRO, in an interaction with reporters, said, "Around 1,200 metres of road has been constructed. Two drilling machine vehicles have also reached the tunnel site. We have constructed the track within 48 hours..."

Road Transport and Highways secretary Anurag Jain said the American-made Auger drilling machine, which is already being used, is the best option right now and workers could be out within 2.5 days. The auger machine had come across a hard boulder last week forcing rescuers to put the operation on hold due to safety concerns.

VIDEO | Rescue efforts continue at Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. 41 workers are trapped inside the tunnel since November 12.#UttarakhandTunnelCollapse pic.twitter.com/zJXlbrVnLS

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) November 22, 2023

According to Jain, five other action plans are ready but those could take as long as 12-15 days. Rescuers also set off two blasts at the Balkot end of the under-construction tunnel on the Char Dham route, beginning the process of drilling another tunnel.

"We are working on all options simultaneously instead of waiting for one option to click. Auger and horizontal boring to create an opening parallel to the tunnel. Creating a horizontal opening could take 12-15 days,” he told NDTV.

Workers have been served hot food after officials managed to insert a 57-metre long, 6-inch wide pipe to send easy-to-digest water. Doctors, who have been sent to the site, advised trapped workers to practice yoga, walk in the stretch, and keep on interacting with each other.

Member of the National Disaster Management Authority, Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain had earlier informed that there is sufficient water, oxygen power, and light inside the tunnel. On November 21, a video provided by authorities showed the trapped men wearing helmets and construction worker jackets over their clothes against the backdrop of the lights in the tunnel.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and took stock of ongoing rescue operations and asked to provide food, medicines, and other essential items to the workers. He urged the CM to rescue the trapped workers safely.