Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand):
Rescue teams could reach the 41 workers trapped in an Uttarakhand tunnel for more than 170 hours in the next two days if the drill drilling into the rubble block works properly, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
Mr Gadkari and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami today visited the site where the tunnel collapsed, leaving 41 lives hanging by the wire. A section of the under-construction tunnel connecting Uttarkashi and Yamunotri collapsed after a landslide on Sunday, trapping workers. This tunnel is part of the Centre’s ambitious Char Dham project.
Over the past week, repeated attempts to rescue the workers have failed due to several problems, including the topography and nature of the rocks in the area. The workers are given food, water and oxygen as rescue teams work overtime to make a breakthrough.
Speaking to the media, Mr Gadkari said the priority is to keep the workers alive. “If the drilling machine works well, we can reach them in the next 2-2.5 days. Roads are being constructed by BRO (Border Roads Organisation) to bring in special machines. Several machines have arrived here. There are two earth drilling machines ready. currently carrying out rescue operations,” he said.
The minister said several machines have arrived at the scene and two are currently working to rescue the workers.
Prime Minister Dhami told news agency ANI that his government is ready to provide assistance to the rescue organizations. “Saving everyone’s lives is our first priority. For this, the state government is ready to provide all necessary assistance to all agencies. I will pray to God that they are saved sooner as their problems are increasing day by day.” he said.
Multi-agency teams are on site for the challenging rescue operation. They include officials from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). “The experts agree that instead of working on one plan, we should work on five plans simultaneously to reach the stuck workers as quickly as possible,” said Bhaskar Khulbe, former adviser to the prime minister.
Mr Khulbe said the workers were likely to be rescued within four to five days. “But if the gods are kind enough, it could happen even sooner,” he said.