Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], November 21 (ANI): With the rescuers focusing on the ‘horizontal drilling’ method to evacuate 41 labourers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel, an official on Tuesday said that the time from tonight is the ‘most crucial’ and that if everything goes right, some ‘good news’ will come up in the next 40 hours. Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed said that now 800 mm-diameter pipes are being pushed instead of 900 mm with the telescoping method.

“From this morning on, we started the process of horizontal drilling. Four 900-mm-diameter pipes of 6 metres each were pushed to 21-22 metres last week before they hit an obstacle. Now we have decided that we will lay an 800-mm-diameter pipe through the telescoping method. We have started that work. After that, we will do further drilling inside it with the American Auger machine. For us, the entire day until tomorrow from tonight on is most important,” the official said.

As per the rescue plan earlier, the 900-mm pipes were to be pushed in using the horizontal drilling equipment to create an escape for the workers. He said that out of the total 60-metre length of horizontal drilling from the Silkyara end, around 22-45 metres are rubble. “Not only this, we are doing the horizontal drilling from the other (Barkot) side and the work has been assigned to Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited (THDC),” he added. “If everything goes right, we will come up with some ‘good news’ in the next 40 hours,” Ahmed said, addressing a press briefing.

The collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction of a tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot, trapping 41 labourers due to a muck fall in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.
The official assisting in the rescue operations on the site said that through the 6-inch pipeline, the additional lifeline that was laid yesterday, a walkie-talkie was sent inside and communication was established with the trapped men. “We also got a video showing that all of them are in good mental and physical health,” he said.

The rescue team on Monday evening managed to lay a 6-inch pipe through which solid food and mobile chargers were sent inside the collapsed section of the Silkyara Tunnel. Sitting on the presser, the Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, said that Khichdi and Dalia, as recommended by doctors, could not be delivered yesterday as something was stuck on the 6-inch pipe. “But now we have cleaned the pipe,” he said, adding that today fruits like oranges, bananas and medicines were sent to the trapped workers. (ANI)

Matar Paneer, Veg Pulao packed for workers trapped in Uttarkashi tunnel

Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India], November 21 (ANI): As the ongoing operation to extricate 41 labourers trapped inside the collapsed portion of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel of Uttarkashi entered its tenth day, rescuers on Tuesday packed solid food items such as veg pulao and matar paneer for them.
The cooked meal will be sent to trapped workers through the 6-inch-wide alternative lifeline pipe that was laid on Monday evening.

Sanjeet Rana, who prepared the dishes and works at a local eatery, said, “We have prepared veg pulao, mattar paneer, and butter chapati for the workers trapped inside. We have packed the food in adequate portions.”

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, said hot meals such as Khichdi and Dalia could not be delivered in cylindrical plastic bottles through the 6-inch pipe as something got stuck inside. “But now we have cleared the pipe,” Khulko said, adding that today fruits such as oranges, bananas and medicines were supplied to the trapped workers.

Abhishek Ramola, the owner of the hotel where food for the trapped people was prepared, told ANI that around 150 packets had been prepared for dinner on Tuesday.

“We have cooked food for those trapped inside. We prepared rice and paneer today. We prepared about 150 packets for them. All items were cooked under the supervision of a doctor. They are being provided with easy-to-digest food,” Ramola said.

Earlier in the day, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, said efforts to rescue the trapped men are underway from five sides but the best possible method is the horizontal drilling by the Augur machine from the Silkyara end of the tunnel. As per the rescue plan, 900 mm pipes will be inserted using horizontal drilling equipment to create an escape route for the trapped workers.

Meanwhile, additional secretary, Technical, Road and Transport, Mahmood Ahmed, said 800 mm-diameter pipes were now being pushed in instead of 900 mm through the telescoping method. A portion of the under-construction tunnel, from Silkyara to Barkot, caved in on November 12, leaving 41 labourers trapped due to the fall of debris in a 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel.

The NDMA official said on November 12, a part of the tunnel caved in trapping the workers inside the 2 km-long portion of the tunnel. He said the Barkot side of the tunnel is already closed as work has not yet begun on that section. “So that (Barkot) end is also closed. As a result, the workers are trapped between the caved-in portion and the other end (the Barkot side), which is yet to be accessed,” Hasnain said. “At present, different agencies, NDRF, ITBP, Army engineers, SDRF, fire and emergency services, Border Roads Organisation and other technical agencies of the Central government, are involved in the rescue operation,” he said.

The NDMA member said a tunnel rescue calls for a serious and challenging effort. “Around 3-4 international experts have also come to the tunnel site. The government has flown in experts to oversee the operation and make suggestions where they deem necessary,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hasnain said that a top attack and vertical drilling to pull out the trapped labourers is also being explored. “For that, the Border Road Organisation has made a road and equipment are being transported there,” Hasnain said, adding that the priority of the government is ‘life-saving’. (ANI)