Voice 9, New Delhi Bureau: Authorities in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, are set to commence vertical drilling on Tuesday afternoon in order to rescue the 41 workers who have been trapped in a partially collapsed tunnel for over 240 hours, or 10 days.
The
drilling is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. from the Silkyara end. During previous
attempts to survey the site using a drone, debris obstructed the progress,
resulting in damage to one of the drones.
The tunnel site underwent two
attempts at a drone survey in order to analyze the distance between the debris
and the top of the tunnel. However, the drone was unable to surpass a height of
28 meters due to an obstruction, resulting in one drone being damaged. The
slope of the tunnel proved to be a challenge for a robot deployed by the
Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) due to the presence of
debris.
The process of constructing a protective canopy for the pipe drilling machine has commenced. Simultaneously, the pipe is being pushed using an auger machine, which began early on Tuesday morning. Currently, nine box segments have been positioned, and the placement of additional box culverts began early in the morning.
Earlier on Monday, a
significant milestone was achieved in the rescue operation as a six-inch
alternate pipe successfully reached the 41 workers who were trapped in the
tunnel.
In addition to this, officials
took the initiative to provide the trapped workers with nutritious food in
plastic bottles. To ensure their nutritional needs were met, medical experts
were consulted to devise a special diet plan. The workers were supplied with
khichdi and a variety of fruits such as oranges, bananas, apples, and 'dalia'
(broken wheat) through the pipe, which played a crucial role in sustaining them
during these challenging times.
The khichdi was carefully
packaged in plastic bottles and sent down the pipe. Furthermore, officials made
an announcement that a phone, along with a charger, would be sent to establish
and maintain communication with the trapped workers. A global team of tunneling
experts arrived at the site on Monday. International Tunnelling and Underground
Space Association president Arnold Dix was among the experts at the tunnel site
to oversee the operation.
