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New Delhi. Every possible effort is being made to rescue 40 laborers trapped ( delay) in the sunken tunnel in Uttarkashi. 5 days i.e. 120 hours have passed, till now the workers have not been taken out. Officials involved in relief and rescue operations said pushing pipes through debris takes more time than drilling holes, especially if one has to ensure that there are no cracks in the pipes after welding.
When asked why the machine was not able to achieve the expected drilling speed of four to five meters per hour, Anshu Manish Khalkho, director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), said that the work was done to align the pipes on the machine and Welding them properly takes time before moving them forward.
Problems with drilling machine
Khalkho further claimed that the slow progress of the rescue operation was due to the drilling machine being diesel powered. He said, “This is a diesel-powered machine working in a closed space. Therefore ventilation is also required at certain time intervals along with the compressor. The vibration generated by these processes can disturb the balance. He further said, ‘We are working with a strategy but it has to be strengthened to ensure that nothing goes wrong in between.’
Back-up machine is being ordered
Khalkho said the machine is working satisfactorily and the speed will increase as progress is made in moving through the debris and rescuers become accustomed to the system. He said that to ensure that the rescue operations continue uninterrupted, another ‘auger machine’ is being brought from Indore as a backup.
This agency engaged in rescue operation
At least 165 personnel from several agencies, including the National Disaster Response Force, State Disaster Response Force, Border Roads Organisation, and Indo-Tibetan Border Police, are engaged in rescue operations. Specialized rescue teams from Thailand and Norway have also joined the operation.
