 "Uttarakhand tunnel collapse")
It's been 17 days since the 41 workers were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. The rescue operation is in process, and currently, manual drilling is underway.
Multiple agencies have been leading the rescue operation since November 12. However, multiple obstacles halted the operation several times.
Initially, the company was planning to rescue workers with horizontal drilling with the aid of international tunnelling experts. After working on this plan, the operation had to stop on November 24 when Auger drill blades broke. Thereafter, plasma and magna rod cutter machines were transported to the site to take out the stuck auger blades.
On Munday, rat-hole mining experts began manual drilling vertically through the rubble to rescue the trapped 41 workers.
The rescue team had to drill to a depth of around 86 metres in total to reach the trapped workers. On the first day, the rescuers are implementing the new approach of drilling into the hill above the Silkyara tunnel. According to CNBCTV18, the rescuers were able to cross around the 20-metre mark.
It is looking positive, Chris Cooper said
On Tuesday morning, Chris Cooper, the micro-tunnelling expert told ANI news agency that the drilling work went well last night, which helped the rescuers team to cross the 50 metre mark. He added that the rescue team were adding another pipe, and another 5 to 6-metre drilling was left. "It is looking positive," Chris added.
On the other hand, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) teams were engaged in the process of recovering the auger machine's broken parts while vertical and manual drilling operations were underway to create a route to escape for the trapped workers.
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Harpal Singh, Former DG of Border Roads Organisation, said that 800 mm pipe frames are being prepared and will gradually move from half a metre to one metre gradually. If everything goes well without obstacles another 10-metre stretch can be covered in 24 to 36 hours.
86-metres drilling required
A total of 86 metres of drilling was required to create an escape route for 41 trapped workers and this involved laying pipes of 1.2 metres broad from the top of the tunnel.
Tehri Hydro Development Corporation (THDC) is working on a project to create a rescue tunnel from Barkot end with the fifth blast that took place recently at 2.25 am on November 26.
Some top officials including Principal Secretary to the PM; Pramod Kumar Mishra, Union Home Secretary; Ajay Kumar Bhalla and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary; SS Sandhi visited the Uttarkashi Silkyara tunnel today to inspect the ongoing rescue operation. Mishra inspected the tunnel site, had a conversation with the family of trapped workers, and also inquired about the food being sent every day.
