In Uttarkashi, 12 hours after drilling was halted at the tunnel where 41 workers are trapped, efforts are still ongoing to manually remove the damaged blades of the American-made auger machine. The machine sustained damage after hitting a metal girder during drilling operations on the previous evening.
Arnold Dix, a tunnel expert, expressed his disappointment with the machine, stating that it had failed them four times. As a result, the decision was made to discontinue the use of the auger. Instead, the focus shifted to manually clearing the debris, deemed the safest approach by a senior officer in charge of operations.
While preparations are being made to begin vertical drilling by transporting machines to the top of the tunnel, it is expected to be a challenging task. The officer explained that horizontal drilling has been the most successful method thus far, with approximately 90% of the work completed in this manner. The remaining portion is now being handled manually.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami announced that a plasma cutter machine has been ordered from Hyderabad to assist in cutting and retrieving the auger machine from the tunnel. The Chief Minister expressed hope that the machine would be extracted by Sunday morning, after which manual operations could resume. He assured that all available options are being explored.
Officials on the ground have not ruled out the utilization of Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) technology. GPR is a non-invasive technique that uses radar pulses to create images of objects and structures beneath the ground. It is commonly employed for environmental assessment and civil engineering purposes.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) continues to work on clearing the passage in the escape tunnel that is being prepared. A senior NDRF officer confirmed that they are ready and waiting for the final section to be cleared.
Before operations were halted on Friday evening, a 46.8-meter section of the 800-mm-wide steel pipe had been inserted into the drilled passageway, which measures approximately 60 meters in length. Officials noted that the workers remain mentally alert and physically fit, with arrangements made for them to communicate with their families. The priority is to prevent any additional collapses from occurring due to haste. The last five meters of progress, however, pose a significant challenge.
At the entrance of the tunnel, 41 ambulances are on standby to transport the workers to the Chinyalisaur Community Health Centre. A designated ward with 41 oxygen-equipped beds has been established to accommodate each worker.
