Uttarkashi rescue op: 6-inch-wide pipe reaches workers, special food to be sent

Medical experts have been consulted to devise a special diet plan to address the nutritional needs of 41 workers who have been trapped for eight days after a part of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi.

Uttarkashi tunnerl rescue: Efforts are underway to rescue 41 workers trapped after an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarkashi.

Ankit Sharma, Ankit Sharma, Ashutosh Mishra, Edited By: Prateek Chakraborty, India Today, Uttarkashi, Nov 20, 2023 : In a big breakthrough in the rescue operation in Uttarkashi, a 6-inch wide alternate pipe has managed to reach the 41 workers trapped after the tunnel collapsed days ago. The officials also sent nutritious food in plastic bottles to the trapped workers.

In view of the challenging conditions faced by the trapped workers, the officials consulted medical experts to devise a special diet plan to address their nutritional needs. Today, khichdi, fruits including oranges, bananas, apples and 'dalia' (broken wheat) was supplied down the pipe to sustain the workers during this critical time. The khichdi was put in plastic bottles and sent down the pipe.

Alternative pipe being installed as efforts to rescue trapped workers continue. (Image: India Today)

Officials also announced that a phone equipped with a charger will be sent to maintain communication.

An international team of tunnelling experts arrived at the site on Monday. As the rescue operation entered the ninth day, International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association president Arnold Dix was among the experts at the site to oversee the operation.

"We are going to get those men out. Great work is being done here. Our whole team is here and we are going to find a solution and get them out. A lot of work is being done here. It is important that not only the men rescued but also those who are rescuing are safe," he told news agency ANI.

"The whole world is helping. The team here is fantastic. The plans are looking fantastic. The work is very systematic. The food and the medication are being provided properly," he said.

The tunnel is being constructed under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). It is a part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the central government.

FIVE PLANS TO RESCUE WORKERS

Indiatoday.in has exclusively accessed how different agencies are involved in rescuing the men, who have been trapped for eight days now. As the rescue operation entered the ninth day, here's a breakdown of how these agencies have been tasked with different responsibilities to reach out to the trapped workers and rescue them.

The Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has undertaken the task of vertical drilling at the Barkot end of the Silkyara tunnel on the Char Dham route, part of which collapsed on November 12, sources said. The ONGC drilling head is set to visit the site on Monday and a report is expected to be submitted the very next day.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will then finalise the alignment of the road based on the ONGC report by November 22 (Wednesday).

Vertical drilling at the Silkyara end has been assigned to the Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). The BRO completed 970 metres of the access road leading to the tunnel out of the total planned 1,150 metres on Sunday. The remaining distance is expected to be covered by Monday.

The RVNL has placed a request for an electric connection, which the district administration is evaluating. The vertical drilling is scheduled to be completed by November 26 (Sunday), according to sources.

They added the RVNL has also planned for a 170-metre tunnel to be constructed using specific equipment, which will reach the site by November 21 (Tuesday). The setup is expected to be completed by November 23 (Thursday).

Water resources have been identified with recycling options and the district magistrate's permission is required to use the state government pipe.

Sources said that THDC India Ltd has been entrusted with a 483-metre tunnel construction after they completed a site assessment and manpower mobilisation. The tunnel boring will commence from Monday.

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL) has the responsibility of strengthening the tunnel and constructing an escape route, sources said. A 150 mm steel pipe is being set up through the debris for emergency services, and a third attempt for the same is underway.

The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) have been tasked with drilling a 1-1.2 metre-diameter borehole at the Silkyara end. The work is set to begin on Monday.

The Indian Army are on-site to monitor the progress. A drone has arrived at the tunnel site, which will help with aerial monitoring and facilitate the efficient completion of the project operation.

IAS officer Neeraj Khairwal, who has been appointed as the nodal officer by the Uttarakhand government to coordinate with various central agencies, is expected to reach the Silkyara tunnel today.

The robotics team of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has reached the tunnel site. The team will help to analyse the structure and path by using robotics machines.

Speaking about the rescue operation, Dix said, "It's looking very positive as we have the best experts in Himalayan geology with me. We need to compare what we have seen here above the tunnel with what we know is happening inside the tunnel. We are rescuing those 41 men and we will not let anyone get hurt while doing it."

"It is like any complex job where we have to look all around, from the top to bottom. The team here is so focussed on the rescue and so focussed that no one else gets hurt," he added.

UPDATE ON RESCUE OPERATION

The rescue operation was suspended on Friday afternoon when a US-made auger machine, deployed to drill and push in pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape passage for the workers, developed a snag that exacerbated the anxiety.

By the time drilling was halted, the auger machine had drilled up to 40 metres through the rubble, spread over a 60-metre area inside the tunnel. Seven pipes having a diameter of 800 mm have been inserted.

The government was sending multivitamins, antidepressants and dry fruits to the 41 workers, Road, Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain said on Sunday.

After a visit to the site on Sunday, Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari said boring horizontally through the debris with the huge auger machine appeared to be the best bet. He anticipated a breakthrough in two and a half days.

'WORKERS' SAFETY A PRIORITY'

National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Inspector General (IG) Narendra Singh Bundela said constructing a safe road was the priority to get to the trapped workers at the earliest.

"Different agencies are engaged in the rescue work, including the district administration, Army, NHDCL, NDRF and so on. Indian and foreign experts are also here. Work is being done with coordination with everyone," he told India Today TV.

He said the workers were safe after constant communication with them.

"We are sending oxygen, water and food items to the workers through a pipe. We are making efforts to lay another pipe and rescue the workers. We are also considering other options. The most important thing right now is workers' safety," he said.

PM APPRISED OF SITUATION

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over the phone about the ongoing relief and rescue operation to rescue the workers.

The Prime Minister said the workers will be evacuated safely with mutual coordination between the central and state agencies. He said there was a need to maintain the morale of the trapped workers.

Giving information about the situation, Dhami said that the state and central agencies were engaged in relief and rescue work with mutual coordination and promptness. He stressed the workers trapped in the tunnel were safe.

The government has sought a report from all the agencies about the development work so far in the rescue operation.

(with inputs from PTI and ANI)