The government is making all efforts to save 40 trapped workers inside an under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand. However, a serious rethink is required on how to develop infrastructure in the Himalayan region.
The workers have been stuck for more than 70 hours now. Dr. Sudhir Krishna, a former secretary of the Union Urban Development Ministry, stated that there are several obstacles in their way. They have been given food, water, and oxygen; nevertheless, landslides have made it difficult to extract them. New gear is currently being sent in by air from Delhi to support the rescue efforts.
The construction of a 4.5-kilometer tunnel to link Uttarkashi and Yamunotri is underway between the towns of Silkyara and Dandalgaon. Most of the work has been finished. Following a landslide on Sunday, a portion of the tunnel collapsed, trapping the workers within.
The ambitious Char Dham project, a national highway plan to connect Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri, includes the tunnel that is now under construction. There are 529 landslide-prone locations along the project’s path.
Uttarakhand needs improved roads for greater connectivity, and tunneling is the best way to achieve this, experts are of the opinion. “I’ve visited Silkyara. The rocks are arranged tightly together. The rocks in the shear zone where this collapse occurred are fragile and fractured, he explained.