Government sending multivitamins, anti-depressants, dry fruits to 41 workers trapped in the tunnel

Road, Transport and Highways Secretary Anurag Jain has said that the government is sending multivitamins, anti-depressants as well as dry fruits to 41 workers trapped in the tunnel under construction in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand for the last seven days after it collapsed.

Jain said, “Fortunately, there is light inside because the electricity is on. There is a pipeline and hence water is available. There is a four-inch pipe, which was used for 'compression' (pressure). Through that, we have been sending food items since day one.

Jain released a video to provide updates on the Uttarkashi tunnel rescue operation. He said water and electricity are available in a two-kilometre stretch inside the tunnel, which is the completed part of the 4.531-km two-lane tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarkashi.

He said, 'We are sending multivitamins, anti-depressants and dry fruits to the workers trapped inside the tunnel under construction in Silkyara, Uttarkashi.'

Located at a distance of about 30 kilometers from Uttarkashi district headquarters, Silkyara Tunnel is part of the Central Government's ambitious Chardham 'All Weather Road' (a road that remains open for traffic in all weather) project.

The tunnel is being constructed under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). About 30 meters of the under-construction tunnel, 270 meters inside the mouth from the Silkyara side, had collapsed at around 5.30 am last Sunday and since then the workers are trapped inside it. To rescue them, rescue and relief operations are being carried out on a war footing.

The rescue operation was suspended on Friday afternoon when the US-made auger machine used to drill to prepare an escape route for the workers malfunctioned, raising concerns.

By the time the drilling was stopped, the auger machine had drilled 24 meters through the debris spread over an area of 60 meters inside the tunnel.

The central government had held a high-level meeting on Saturday, in which five options to save the workers were discussed with various agencies.

NHIDCL Managing Director Mahmood Ahmed has been made in-charge of coordination with all central agencies and has been posted at Silkyara.

Various agencies have been deployed to quickly reach the stranded workers, including ONGC, RVNL, Sutlej Jal Vikas Nigam Limited, BRO and State PWD, NHIDCL.