New Delhi: The rescue operation for 41 staff caught in a tunnel in Uttarakhand for 15 days has taken a brand new flip, as consultants have resorted to the rat-hole mining method to clear the rubble and create an escape route for them. Rat-hole mining is a technique of extracting small quantities of coal by drilling holes within the floor, often practised in Meghalaya.
The consultants, who’ve come from Delhi, Jhansi and different locations, have been employed by Trenchless Engineering Services Private Limited and Navayuga Engineers Private restricted to use the rat-hole mining method horizontally within the collapsed a part of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. They must drill at the least 10 to 12 metres by hand, utilizing hand-held drilling machines and fuel cutters, an official mentioned.
Neeraj (*15*), Additional Secretary, Uttarakhand authorities and the state nodal officer for the rescue operation, mentioned the expert staff will take away the muck by hand and push the tunnel pipe (800-mm) regularly by means of the rubble.
One of the employees, Mohan Rai, mentioned they are going to put on oxygen masks and glasses for security and work in groups of three. He mentioned they’ll take away five-six metres of rubble in 24 hours.
Another knowledgeable, Rakesh Rajput, mentioned they’ll take away 10 metres of muck in 20 hours utilizing this technique.
The precise reason for the tunnel collapse remains to be unknown, however the rescue crew is hopeful that the rat-hole mining method will assist them attain the trapped staff quickly.
