Uttarkashi (Uttarakhand) [India]: As merely a few metres separated the rescuers and the trapped workers in the collapsed portion of the under-construction of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi, a temporary camp office was put together at Matali for Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to monitor the ongoing operation real-time.
According to an official release on Friday, CM Dhami was closely tracking the ongoing efforts to safely extract 41 labourers, who were trapped after a portion of the tunnel on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road caved in on November 12.
Apart from monitoring the rescue operation, the chief minister is also in regular contact with officers on the spot, issuing directions from time to time.
Drones are also being used to keep track of the situation in the Uttarkashi tunnel, officials said on Friday.
The ongoing rescue work entered its 13th day on Friday, with the trapped workers deemed safe and in good spirits.
They are being provided with regular meals and counselling.
“We are here to support the rescue team, which is working tirelessly. Our priority is to ensure the safety of the trapped labourers which is why we have deployed drones so that we can monitor their status real-time. The drones are equipped with advanced technology and can capture real-time images inside tunnels. It is also equipped to operate in areas which are not GPS-enabled. This is the first time that such drones are being put to use in an operation of this nature,” Cyriac Joseph, the managing director and CEO of Squadrone Infra and Mining Pvt Limited, told media.
He added that his team was tracking every activity happening inside the tunnel through the drone cameras.
“Our main objective is to bring all 41 workers out of the tunnel safely. We hope they will see the light soon,” he added.
Earlier, on Thursday, Chief Minister Dhami took stock of the rescue operation, which is believed to be in its final phase currently.
However, officials said no specific timelines for the release of the trapped workers should be assumed.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also spoke to the Uttarakhand CM over the phone and sought updates on the ongoing rescue operation and the safe-keeping of the 41 trapped workers.
The labourers are trapped in a 2km-built portion of the tunnel, which is complete, including concrete work, thereby providing them safety.
