#uttarakhandtunnelcollapse
Over 10 days on, the operation to rescue the 41 workers trapped inside the Barkot-Silkiara tunnel of Uttarkashi is yet to reach a breakthrough.
Amid the government’s assurances that “every effort” is being made to rescue the workers, a delegation led by Bhaskar Khulbe, former advisor to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, inspected the situation on the ground on November 18. Khulbe told the media that it could take “five, six or even seven days” to rescue the workers.
“Instead of depending on a single plan, we are working out a five-point strategy. We will drill at different places in the mountain, both vertically and horizontally. A machine has been brought in from the Netherlands which will help us drill horizontally,” said the former bureaucrat.
Meanwhile, there is a divided consensus on the reason for the tunnel’s collapse. However, SP Sati, a geologist and professor of environmental science at the Uttarakhand University of Horticulture and Forestry, pointed to the use of explosives in construction activity.
He told Newslaundry: “Although construction companies never admit that they use explosives in their work, we have in the past. It has been a repeat violation. I believe that the biggest reason for the collapse of the tunnel would have been a massive shock. It should be investigated. Use of heavy explosives cannot be ruled out.”
But the big question remains that why were there no evacuation routes in the tunnel?
Watch.
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8 сен 2024
