Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Barring some unforeseen impediments, the authorities hope to rescue the 41 workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel near Uttarkashi in Uttarakhand by Thursday or latest by Friday.
“I am happy to announce we have been able to move forward by another six meters and only 12 more metres of rock and debris separate 41 workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel and rescue officials racing to save them,. It is expected that in the next two hours, when we prepare for the next phase, we will be able to (finish) remaining work,” Bhaskar Khulbe, the Special Officer deputed to the Uttarakhand Tourism Department, told reporters on Wednesday evening.
In fact the officials are hoping to get the “big news” of having been successfully completed the laying of pipes by about midnight of Wednesday to enable the trapped workers to crawl out of the collapsed portion in the open even while cautioning that drilling of the last few metres into the rocks could be most crucial. Mr Khulbe said about 67 per cent of drilling had been completed.
Modified communication system with wire connectivity has been developed by NDRF/SDRF through which clear communication is made. People inside reported at morning that they were safe, officials said.
According to officials, steel pipes have been drilled up to 42 meters, total 7 pipes have been placed. Next 8 to 10 meters would be very crucial, as chances of drill hitting any obstruction would be high in this part of debris. Team is expecting to get a breakthrough at around 57 to 60 meters.
Officials supervising the rescue operation believe they are close to making a critical breakthrough. Additional Secretary Technical, Road and Transport Mahmood Ahmed said on Wednesday that some big news is expected in the next 24 hours as an additional 880-millimeter pipe has also been pushed 21 metres through the rubble to free 41 workers. The official said since Tuesday night they have pushed three more pipes, reaching 40-50 metres through horizontal drilling inside the tunnel.
The second lifeline for food distribution was functioning efficiently, ensuring an ample food supply like roti, subzi, khichdi, daliya, oranges, bananas in addition to supply of medicines and other essentials like clothes such as T-Shirt, undergarments, tooth paste, soap etc.
Earlier in the day Mr Ahmed had said the auger (earth drilling machine) that was switched on at 12.45 am had drilled 18 metres so far. “I am very happy to share that drilling for 39 metres has been completed. Estimates indicate the workers are trapped 57 metres underground, so only 18 metres is left,” he explained.
Mr Ahmed also said the most time-consuming process – in a rescue attempt that is now in its 11th day – was the welding of pipes to be pushed into the drilled holes to provide workers’ an escape route. “Welding is most important… this takes time. It does not take much time to drill… due to this it has taken almost 15 hours, from late night, to send 18 metres of pipes, i.e., three sections,” he added. “An additional 800mm pipe has also been pushed 21 metres inside the tunnel.”
“If there are no obstacles, some big news may be received tonight or tomorrow morning. An iron rod has also come with the debris. We are happy this (rod) did not create any problems for us…” “This is very happy news for us, that we are moving forward at a fast pace,” he added. However, Mr Ahmed also issued a word of warning – that the remaining section is the most critical.
Rescue efforts have been slow, complicated by falling debris as well as repeated breakdowns of heavy-drilling machines. One machine last week ran into boulders, causing drilling to be suspended for over three days after the tunnel’s roof seemed to crack.
Both the state and the central governments have promised to do all they can to bring the 41 workers back up safely, but they have refused to give a definitive timeline for their rescue, noting these are “subject to change due to technical glitches, challenging terrain, and unforeseen emergencies.”
Five government agencies, including the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation – have been roped in to this massive effort, and given specific goals, including drilling vertically for an alternative escape route. In case the route through the main entrance does not work, blasting and drilling have also begun from the far end of the unfinished tunnel, which is nearly half a kilometre long.
Preparations have also been made for a risky vertical shaft directly above. Rescuers have already drilled smaller holes to reach the tunnel in which the workers have been trapped since November 12, and have used these to supply them with food, water and medicines.
One of these holes was used to insert a smaller pipe and then to push an endoscopy camera nearly 60 metres down to capture the first images of the trapped workers. The blurry images showed over a dozen men, wearing white and yellow hardhats, standing in a large cavernous area.
Last night the trapped workers received their first solid food in over a week, after rescuers packed items like vegetable pulao, and slipped it down the smaller pipes, which are about six inches wide. Till last night workers had received snack items and fruits, like oranges and bananas.
On Tuesday, the government said there was sufficient water and oxygen available to the trapped workers, even if the rescue attempt were to drag into a second week. The workers also have electricity since, fortunately, power lines to construction sites underground remained operational after the collapse.
Some family members have also been brought to the rescue site to ensure those trapped remain in good cheer. “Families have been accommodated in hotels…in one or two cases, they were even able to talk through it… the more the families talk to them, the better morale will be,” an official said.
Road Transport and Highways secretary Anurag Jain said the American-made Auger drilling machine was the best option right now and workers could be out within 2.5 days. The auger machine had come across a hard boulder on Friday afternoon, triggering vibrations that forced rescuers to put the operation on hold due to safety concerns.
Mr Jain said that they have kept five other action plans ready, but those could take as long as 12-15 days. “We are working on all options simultaneously instead of waiting for one option to click. Auger and horizontal boring to create an opening parallel to the tunnel. Creating a horizontal opening could take 12-15 days.”
A 30-second video provided by authorities showed about a dozen of the trapped men standing in a semi-circle in front of the camera, wearing helmets and construction worker jackets over their clothes against the backdrop of the lights in the tunnel. A rescue worker could be heard telling the men to present themselves before the camera one by one, to confirm their identities on the walkie-talkie gear that had been sent in. In the clip, the trapped men appeared to be doing fine, answering that they were all right in response to queries about their well-being, said one official in the rescue control room.