There has been a “breakthrough, NHIDCL Director Anshu Manish announced on Monday, informing that a six-inch pipe has been installed inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand where 41 workers have been trapped since early hours of 12th November 2023.
The Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited told media persons that the 53-meter long pipe was drilled though and once its is successfully tested, food items and medical supplies will be sent to the stranded workers. He also said that whatever is supplied will be as per the direction of the doctors.
Declaring that this is the first breakthrough in the last nine days, Anshu Manish further informed that the operation is still ongoing and that the team will relentlessly work and explore all options to rescue the workers the under constructed Silkyara tunnel.
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Earlier on Monday, Professor Arnold Dix, President, International Tunneling and Underground Space Organization visited the Silkyara tunnel with his team of experts and inspected the relief and rescue operations. ITA-AITES is a non-governmental, non-profit organization comprising of 74 member nations around the world with 300 affiliated members including 17 Prime Sponsors and 60 Supporters.
Speaking to ANI, Arnold Dix assured, “We are rescuing those 41 men and we will not let anyone get hurt while doing it”. He said that the job is complex “where we have to look all around, from the top to bottom.” Things are looking positive, he said, adding that he has the best experts in Himalayan geology with him and the team is “so focused on the rescue and so focused that no one else gets hurt.”
“We are all one team and the whole world is with us,” the tunnelling expert said.
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, on Monday, informed in a statement that a major breakthrough was achieved when NHIDCL has completed drilling of another six inches diameter pipeline for supply of food, medicines and other essential items. Further, RVNL is working on another vertical pipeline for supply of essential items, it said.
The Ministry also informed that various government agencies were working tirelessly for the safe evacuation of the workers and gave an update on the operation for rescue of labourers:
– Horizontal boring by NHIDCL from Silkyara end for rescue of workers through Augur boring machine is scheduled to recommence today evening.
– The first machine of Sutluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL) for the construction of the Vertical rescue Tunnel has already reached the tunnel site and operations are being commenced post completion of access road by Border Roads Organisation (BRO). Movement of two other machines for the vertical tunnel construction started from Gujarat and Odisha through road.
– Work on construction of a rescue tunnel of 480 mtrs from Barkot end by Tehri Hydroelectric Development Corporation (THDC) has commenced.
– Machinery for micro-tunneling by Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL) through horizontal drilling for rescue of labourers is being transported from Nashik and Delhi.
– Machinery for vertical boring are being mobilized by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) from USA, Mumbai & Ghaziabad.
– BRO has done a commendable work when approach road for vertical drilling of RVNL and SJVNL has been constructed within 48 hours. Further, now work is continuing for approach road for ONGC also.
