Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue: 6-Inch Pipe Reaches Trapped Workers, Special Food Aid Initiated

Uttarkashi: In a significant development in the Uttarkashi rescue operation, a 6-inch alternate pipe has reached the 41 workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel. Officials plan to send nutritious food, starting with moong khichdi, through the narrow passage. Medical experts devised a special diet plan for the trapped workers, emphasizing a phased approach for sustenance.

International tunnelling experts, including Arnold Dix, president of the International Tunnelling and Underground Space Association, are overseeing the rescue. The tunnel, part of the Char Dham all-weather road project, collapsed on November 12, leading to the ongoing nine-day rescue operation.

The rescue involves multiple agencies: ONGC for vertical drilling, BRO for road alignment, RVNL for drilling and tunnel construction, THDC India Ltd for a 483-metre tunnel, NHIDCL for tunnel strengthening, NHPC and SJVNL for borehole drilling. The Indian Army, DRDO’s robotics team, and NDRF are actively contributing.

The rescue operation faced a setback when a US-made auger machine developed a snag. Despite challenges, efforts are focused on workers’ safety, with provisions like multivitamins and antidepressants sent through pipes. PM Modi assured coordination for a safe evacuation.

The situation is closely monitored, and agencies have been instructed to provide a detailed report on the progress of the rescue operation.