New challenges in rescue of 41 laborers trapped in the tunnel of Uttarakhand

Even after 17 days of 41 laborers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarakhand no ray of hope is visible as far as rescue of the laborers is concerned.

Officials have been saying that they will be taken out safely very soon. But the reality is that problems are coming one after another in the midst of the rescue.

Earlier the American machine brought for drilling broke down and now the bad weather is indicating new trouble.

Manual drilling is being done after the American auger machine broke down to reach 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel of Uttarkashi. 86 meters of vertical drilling is to be done, of which 36 meters have been excavated so far.

On November 24, while trying to dig from the Silkyara end and lay the rescue pipe, the blades of the drilling machine brought from America broke 12 meters before the workers' location, due to which the rescue had to stop midway and take out the blade of the machine.

The worsening weather in Uttarakhand can create new problems during the rescue. The Meteorological Department has predicted rain and hailstorm in the state for the next 24 hours. Experts believe that this may cause problems in rescue.

In view of the deteriorating morale of the workers, a team of 5 doctors has been deployed at the site, they are talking to the workers trapped in the tunnel in two shifts. From 9 am to 11 am and from 5 pm to 8 pm, the workers are sharing their mental condition with the doctors through mic.

Family members of the workers trapped in the tunnel have also been given permission to talk to them. They can talk to them whenever they want. For this, the administration has set up camps for them to stay near the tunnel.

Lieutenant General (retired) Syed Ata Hasnain, member of the National Disaster Management Authority, said that the mental health of the workers trapped in the tunnel is being taken care of and they are being made to talk to their families.