Rescuers Emerge as Heroes, Bringing Hope Amidst the Tragedy of Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse
Following the successful rescue of all 41 workers trapped for 17 days in a collapsed Uttarakhand tunnel, attention is now turning to the factors behind the tunnel collapse and the prolonged rescue efforts.
The jubilation of rescuers as rat miners drilled through debris to free the trapped workers marked the end of a 17-day operation involving multiple agencies, drilling machines, and rat miners—an occupation currently prohibited in India.
While the American drilling machine, known as ‘auger,’ made substantial progress by horizontally drilling through the majority of the debris, manual intervention became necessary after the machine’s collapse. A team of a dozen rat miners, known for their expertise in navigating confined spaces, took over to complete the rescue operation.
Situated approximately 30 km from Uttarkashi, the Silkyara tunnel is a crucial component of the central government’s Char Dham all-weather road project, spanning 889 kilometers across the delicate Himalayan terrain. The project, executed by Navayuga Engineering Company Limited based in Hyderabad, has reportedly undertaken similar projects in the past.
The collapse, occurring on November 12, about 200 meters from the tunnel entrance, has prompted a shift in focus from the rescue to investigating the causes of the collapse. This incident underscores the dangers associated with large-scale development in the seismic and landslide-prone mountainous region.
While large projects typically undergo Environmental Impact Assessments, the Silkyara Tunnel, divided into segments smaller than 100 km, was exempt. In response, the Supreme Court in 2019 directed an expert panel to recommend risk mitigation measures. The committee identified various issues, highlighting the risk of landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand due to the composition of the soil, which includes crushed rocks and limestone.
Acknowledging the lessons learned from this incident, the government announced that the National Highways Authority of India will conduct an audit of the 29 tunnels currently under construction nationwide. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari emphasized the need for a safety audit of the tunnel and exploration of advanced technologies, recognizing the challenging nature of working in the fragile Himalayan strata.
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