Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Rescue delayed as drilling platform develops cracks

Neeraj Mohan

Silkyara (Uttarkashi), Nov 23

Drilling through the rubble of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel was put on hold again on Thursday after the platform on which the equipment is mounted developed cracks, in yet another setback to the effort to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside for 12 days.

All fine, say Docs

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• Doctors said all workers were in good health and three meals a day were being supplied
• As per the plan, they’ll be rescued by wheeled stretchers using 900 mm diameter pipes

The Daring duo

• Parveen Kumar & Balwinder Singh, technical experts of a private firm, risked life to remove hurdles in way of auger machine
• They entered pipes to remove a girder that was stuck at the mouth of the drilling machine

Steel girders created obstacles in the way of the US-made auger drilling machine as rescuers were not able to cross the 15-metre rubble.

Neeraj Khairwal, Uttarakhand’s nodal officer for the operation, said, “Despite an obstacle encountered by the auger machine, progress continues. On Thursday, they drilled 1.8 metres, taking the total length to 46.8 metres of the target of 57 to 60 metres.”

By Wednesday evening, a distance of 45 metres had been successfully drilled, but late evening operations were temporarily halted due to a girder obstruction. By 2 am, drilling resumed. Another obstacle was detected and it was being examined, he said.

International tunnelling expert Arnold Dix, aiding the operation, told The Tribune that the work was going on fine and he was optimistic.

The non-stop rescue operation by a team of 200 rescuers from different agencies launched on November 12 is in the final stage as officials claimed that they just needed to install two more pipes to reach the workers.

Those trapped will be rescued by wheeled stretchers using 800 and 900 mm diameter pipes. Soon after the rescue, they will be taken to a primary health centre in Chinyalisaur where a 41-bed facility has been created. Facilities are in place to airlift workers in a serious condition.

Former adviser to the PMO Bhaskar Khulbe, who is camping near the spot, had earlier expressed the hope the task would be completed on Thursday, but now officials said the operation might continue on Friday too.

Khulbe said the auger machine faced issues with its base. Officials were actively addressing this concern by deploying additional support machinery to stabilise the base, ensuring minimal vibrations and enabling the machine to advance the drilling process. Khulbe expressed optimism saying that, “We anticipate a swift resolution to the matter and a prompt resumption of work.”

Tunnel expert Dix said machines were also ready for vertical drilling, but they were waiting for the orders.

Meanwhile, Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister Gen VK Singh (retd) reached the tunnel site and had a telephonic conversation with two trapped workers from Uttarakhand.