Rescue efforts for the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel reached a critical juncture as drilling operations temporarily halted on Thursday. The 25-ton drilling machine’s platform required reinforcement before resuming operations today, introducing additional challenges to an already complex mission.
Here are key points on this unfolding story:
- Obstacles in Drilling Operation: National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) member Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain warned of potential obstacles, estimating three or four more challenges in the horizontal drilling operation. Predicting a timeframe remains uncertain due to the unpredictable nature of the task.
- Ambulance Arrangements: At the tunnel site, 41 ambulances, corresponding to each trapped worker, await, with provisions for airlifting severely injured workers.
- Wheeled Stretchers Through Drilled Pipe: National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Director General Atul Karwal explained that the trapped workers would be pulled out one by one on wheeled stretchers through the ongoing drilling pipe.
- Careful Stretcher Maneuvering: NDRF personnel will navigate the stretchers through the pipe, ensuring workers’ safety by preventing limbs from scraping against the metal underside. Skillful rope maneuvers will facilitate the careful extraction process.
- Earthquake Report: Lt. Gen. Hasnain addressed a low-intensity earthquake report, emphasizing its unrelated nature to weather patterns and climate.
- NHIDCL’s Drilling Resumption: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) recommenced horizontal drilling using an Auger boring machine from the Silkyara end for worker rescue.
- Setback and Solution: A metallic object, identified as a lattice girder rib, hindered the rescue pipe’s insertion. Gas cutters were deployed at 2:30 am to remove the obstacle, allowing the pipe’s extension.
- Five-Pronged Action Plan: The government’s comprehensive rescue plan involves five agencies—Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, Rail Vikas Nigam, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation—each assigned specific responsibilities.
- Silkyara Tunnel’s Significance: The tunnel, integral to the central government’s Char Dham all-weather road project, is located approximately 30 km from Uttarkashi and requires a seven-hour drive from Dehradun.
As the rescue operation navigates through challenges, the focus remains on the safe extraction of the trapped workers from the Silkyara tunnel.
