Rescuers on the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand are assured of pulling out all 41 employees safely however are shy of setting a deadline given the sensitivity of the terrain and challenges in drilling an exit path. Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of NDMA (National Disaster Management Authority) advised reporters that the officers are engaged on a contemporary five-point rescue plan and the main target is on the horizontal drilling to create a shaft for pulling out the employees.
“This is not an easy challenge, so we are exploring every option. All the teams are working on it, that is the only assurance I can give. Can’t establish the timeframe,” mentioned Lt Gen Hasnain.
A tunnel-boring machine is at present in operation on the forefront. Additionally, efforts are being made to make the most of blasting strategies to widen the tunnel entrance for inserting a micro-boring machine. The major emphasis, as emphasised, stays on prioritizing “saving lives” at this second. The officers mentioned that there was ample water and oxygen inside and the visuals from inside confirmed that there was ample house inside.
Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed mentioned, “We have gathered multiple agencies. We are coordinating with them. Each agency has been assigned a specific task…We are taking all possible contributions from the army, BRO and other agencies. The district administration is cooperating with us. NDRF and SDRF are also working.”
The officers mentioned that there’s roughly 2 km of house the place the employees are trapped and electrical energy can also be accessible. “A 4-inch pipe was available which didn’t get destroyed so we had a lifeline,” they mentioned.
A bunch of males has turn out to be trapped following the November 12 collapse of a bit of the 4.5-kilometre tunnel alongside the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri National Highway. This tunnel, meant to attach Silkyara and Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi, constitutes a section of the Char Dham undertaking.
The employees, lucky to have escaped with out accidents, at present reside inside a 400-meter security zone located behind a considerable 200-meter stretch of rocky particles. To assist them, provides of meals and water are being delivered via a pipeline.
