Lessons from Silkyara

THE entire nation heaved a sigh of relief when 41 workers were safely pulled out of Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel in a demanding rescue operation that lasted 17 days. The credit goes to the members of the Central and state teams who worked day and night, putting their own lives in danger, in order to save the trapped men. According to international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, who oversaw the evacuation exercise, a combined sense of purpose to rescue the workers outweighed all the challenges. The operation will be remembered not only for the fact that there was no loss of life but also for the seamless coordination between various teams. It has set a very high benchmark for operations undertaken during various disasters, natural or man-made.

It is laudable that the Uttarakhand government has announced financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh each for all workers, besides making arrangements for their medical examination and their journey back home. Amid the nationwide euphoria over a job well done, some questions need to be asked: What led to the partial collapse of the under-construction tunnel? Were ecological norms bypassed before or during the execution of the project? Were steps taken to ensure that the work did not disturb the stability of the slopes?

A thorough probe is needed to ascertain the laxity and negligence that imperilled the lives of the workers. The incident has brought under scrutiny various projects in progress under the Char Dham programme. A review of the precautionary measures, especially in ecologically sensitive zones, is a must to prevent such mishaps. Safer working conditions are also necessary for the personnel carrying out road-widening and related work. Lessons should be learnt promptly from the Silkyara nightmare and there must be no delay in initiating remedial action.