Rescue operations to save the 41 workers trapped in Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel have resumed after a brief halt. On Day 13 of the operation, drilling had to be temporarily stopped due to cracks in the platform supporting the drilling machine.
Here are 10 key points regarding this ongoing rescue effort:
1. Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), has stated that the horizontal drilling operation may face additional obstacles, potentially up to three or four more. Given the unpredictable and challenging nature of the task, it is difficult to predict a timeframe for the rescue operation.
2. Mr. Hasnain also mentioned that 41 ambulances, one for each trapped worker, are stationed at the tunnel site. Arrangements have been made to airlift severely injured workers if needed.
3. According to Atul Karwal, Director General of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the 41 trapped workers will be pulled out on wheeled stretchers one by one through a large pipe that is still being drilled to reach them.
4. NDRF personnel will enter the pipe and use stretchers to send out workers individually once they reach them, Mr. Karwal explained.
5. To prevent the workers’ limbs from scraping against the metal underside of the welded pipe, each worker will be carefully positioned on a stretcher. NDRF personnel will skillfully maneuver the stretcher with a rope.
6. Mr. Hasnain mentioned that there was a report of a low-intensity earthquake, which went unnoticed at the time. However, he clarified that this event was not related to the climate or weather patterns.
7. The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) has resumed horizontal drilling from the Silkyara end using an Auger boring machine, according to the latest government update.
8. The rescue operation faced a setback when a metallic object, identified as a lattice girder rib, obstructed the insertion of the rescue pipe further. Gas cutters were deployed at 2:30 am to remove the obstacle and extend the pipe.
9. The government has implemented a five-pronged action plan involving five agencies to rescue the trapped workers. These agencies include the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation, Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam, Rail Vikas Nigam, National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation, and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation. Each agency has specific responsibilities assigned to them.
10. The Silkyara tunnel is located about 30 km from Uttarkashi and requires a seven-hour drive from Dehradun. It is a crucial part of the central government’s Char Dham all-weather road project.
Rescue efforts continue as authorities work tirelessly to save the trapped workers.
