In a significant development, a six-inch pipe has successfully reached the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district, providing a crucial lifeline to 41 laborers trapped for over a week following a landslide and collapse in parts of the under-construction structure. The breakthrough allows the supply of nutritious food and medicines to the trapped workers.
Anshu Manish Khulko, the Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), expressed joy at the successful drilling of the ‘alternative 6-inch lifeline,’ reaching the laborers after covering a distance of 53 meters. This development marks a crucial breakthrough, offering a lifeline for sending both oxygen and food to the trapped individuals.
Khulko emphasized the nutritional value of the food that can now be sent to the laborers through the established pipe. A relative of one of the trapped workers conveyed that there is an atmosphere of happiness among the laborers inside the tunnel upon learning about this breakthrough.
The collapse in the under-construction tunnel occurred on November 12, trapping 41 laborers due to a landslide and muck falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side. With the successful establishment of the alternative lifeline, rescue efforts will now intensify to evacuate the trapped workers.
Additionally, two robotics machines from the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) have arrived at the site, weighing 20 kg and 50 kg. While attempts to use the DRDO robotics machine inside the tunnel faced challenges due to loose strata and rubble, the successful breakthrough with the six-inch pipe brings renewed hope for a successful rescue operation.
