Uttarkashi tunnel rescue enters 3rd week, vertical drilling makes progress
Rescue efforts for the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi for over two weeks have ramped up, with six different plans being explored to save them. Vertical drilling, one of the strategies, began on Sunday and has reached nearly 20m deep, with around 86m remaining. The blade of the American-made auger machine—which broke and got stuck in the debris while drilling horizontally—has been removed. The remaining debris will be cleared for a passage using manual drilling.
Why does this story matter?
A portion of the 4.5km under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon collapsed on November 12, trapping 41 workers. While the debris span was initially around 60m near the tunnel's mouth on the Silkyara side, reports indicated that the operation was in its last leg and was nearing completion. However, repeated technical snags and structural obstacles have delayed the rescue work, also raising concerns about the mental and physical health of the trapped workers.
Operation might be completed by Thursday, provided no obstacles
Vertical drilling began on Sunday afternoon and has made significant progress. The rescue team plans to drill down nearly 110m deep into the hill above the tunnel—with around 86m remaining as of Sunday evening—to free the trapped workers. Mahmood Ahmed, managing director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), earlier said 45m of drilling is expected to be finished by Monday morning. He said the vertical boring is likely to be completed by Thursday if no obstacles arise.
Horizontal drilling remains the best option: Official
However, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) Member Lieutenant General (retd) Syed Ata Hasnain believes horizontal drilling is the best plan for rescuing the workers. It faced setbacks when the blades of the auger broke and got stuck in the wall of debris on Friday, causing officials to abandon the 25-ton machine and consider other options. Officials are now considering manually drilling the remaining 10-12 m, wherein rescuers will enter a steel chute to drill and remove the rubble.
Sideway drilling and rescue tunnel creation being considered
Sideway drilling is another potential strategy being considered to clear a 17-meter path to the trapped laborers. The required machinery was scheduled to arrive at the collapse site on Sunday night. Additionally, work on a 483-meter rescue tunnel excavated using blasting techniques from the Barkot end has also begun. As of Sunday morning, five blasts have penetrated a 10-12m area, with efforts being made to carry out three blasts per day to speed up the rescue operation.
Mobile phones, board games provided to trapped workers
Meanwhile, authorities have confirmed that the trapped workers have access to light, oxygen, water, food, and medicines. Mobile phones and board games were provided to help them cope with stress. Meanwhile, a narrower 200mm probe has been drilled vertically to around the 70m mark. A plasma cutter was been airlifted from Hyderabad on Sunday, and a team of specialists from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Army engineers from the Madras Sappers regiment arrived at the scene.
