The 41 workers remain trapped inside a tunnel in northern India’s Uttarkashi, about 400 km north of New Delhi since November 12. After struggle to achieve success in horizontal drilling amid series of setbacks, Sunday (Nov 26) was the first day of vertical drilling.
As for the survival of the workers, a passage to ensure the supply of food, medicines and essential items has been ensured. At the same time, a communication channel has been established between tunnel workers and the outside world.
How long will workers remain trapped inside the tunnel?
So far, over 20 metres of the required 86 metres of digging has been completed vertically. An official said that they are looking at the timeline of four more days to complete the digging.
A unit of Madras sappers from the Corps of Engineers of the Indian army also reached the tunnel site to assist the rescue operations.
A total of six plans are currently under works to rescue the trapped workers, with the best solution being horizontal drilling, National Disaster Management Authority said.
Why vertical drilling?
This is because the auger machine in use for the horizontal drilling not just broke down but got stuck in the debris.
“The auger machine has to be cut and brought out. It seems that it will be completed soon, within a few more hours. After that manual drilling will begin,” Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said.
The work is ongoing to remove the auger machine.
Besides, a machine for sideways drilling is expected to arrive overnight, early on Monday (Nov 27), according to the NDMA.
The workers trapped inside tunnel hail from poor backgrounds and were working for as less as ₹18,000 (or $216).
Hailing from Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri, a person identified with his last name Chaudhary has his son stuck inside the tunnel along with 40 others.
“Once he comes out, we will never allow him to work here again,” he was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.
Chaudhary spoke to his son Manjeet on Sunday through a communication channel which has now been set up by the authorities.
Also watch | Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Vertical drilling makes swift progress
“We are very poor and came here after taking a loan of ₹9,000 against my wife’s jewellery. Here, the administration gave me a jacket and shoes. They also repaid my loan.”
Fifteen workers hail from Jharkhand, eight from Uttar Pradesh, five each from Odisha and Bihar, three from West Bengal, two each from Uttarakhand and Assam, and one from Himachal Pradesh state.
What next?
The top focus is currently to speed up the vertical drilling and removal of the drill blade to resume to horizontal drilling.
Rescuers plan to manually dig through the remaining debris to reach the trapped workers, officials said.
Officials say that going horizontally through the collapsed debris in the tunnel is still the safest option.
(With inputs from agencies)
