Future of collapsed tunnel is bright: V K Singh

Union Minister V K Singh on Thursday expressed hope that the construction work on the collapsed 4.5-kilometre-long under-construction tunnel on Yamunotri Highway will be resumed after the completion of the rescue operation. He said similar incidents have occurred in other under-construction tunnels as well in the past. “The future of the tunnel is very bright. Other under-construction tunnels too have collapsed but there are ways to rectify them,” he said.

During his short visit to the tunnel collapse site on Thursday, V K Singh said the rescue operation to evacuate the trapped workers is progressing well and that the agencies engaged in the effort are getting full cooperation from all stakeholders, including the Centre and the state government.

“We are getting full cooperation from the Prime Minister, the Union Road Transport and Highways minister, the Uttarakhand Chief Minister and other agencies engaged in the rescue operation. International organisations, rescue work specialists and tunnel experts from Norway and other countries are being consulted on a regular basis. We are following their suggestions. The government is making all efforts to evacuate the trapped workers as early as possible.”

The Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Road Transport said, “The collapsed tunnel area had remained stable for more than four-and-a-half years but tragedy still struck. How can we say with certainty that a landslide will not occur if we enter the hills. We have complete data pertaining to this land. It will help in identifying the snag but our immediate priority is saving the trapped workers.”

It’s interesting that questions are being raised regarding the Detailed Project Report and the safety audit of the tunnel. Locals have been complaining that the site witnessed its first landslide in 2019 before the tunnel construction work started under the Char Dham all-weather road project of the Centre.