The efforts to rescue 41 labourers trapped in the tunnel at Uttarakhand got a boost on the 15th day as more than 32-meter passage was created via vertical drilling, while manually creating the passage at the stalled horizontal drilling site also commenced from Monday evening.
Since Sunday morning, the rescue efforts have been focused on vertical drilling from the Silkyara end, by hydropower generator SJVNL. The drilling began at 1200 hrs Sunday. A total of 86 meters has to be covered to reach the labourers, who have been trapped inside the tunnel at Uttarkashi since November 12.
Furthermore, rescue efforts received a shot in the arm as the debris and broken parts of the Augur drilling machine were cleared from the horizontal passage by Monday morning. Now, manual drilling has commenced (around 1700 hrs Monday).
The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) in its daily media briefing (updated till 1330 hrs) said that a third vertical lifeline (pipeline of 8 inch diameter) is also being laid by Rail Vikas Nigam (RVNL) from the Silkyara end. The drilling commenced at 0400 hours on Sunday (November 26) and so far (as of 1600 hrs Monday) around 75 meter was completed.
Meanwhile, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister P K Mishra and Union Home Secretary A K Bhalla visited the tunnel collapse site on Monday morning and took stock of the rescue operations. They assured all possible help and assistance to the rescue teams and relatives of the trapped workers.
Mishra also reviewed the progress at the vertical drilling sites of SJVNL and RVNL (Silkyara end).
Horizontal drilling
To fast track manual drilling, the government has brought in rat miners, who are proficient in drilling under closed and cramped spaces. Such miners are widely used in coal mining. A team of six people has been formed, who will work in two groups of three persons each.
This horizontal drilling, also from the Sylkyara end, is being done by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL).
A better assessment of the progress and the time it will take to cover the remaining 12-15 meters will be made on Tuesday (November 27) morning. Rescue teams cleared 45 meters of the horizontal passage before the Augur’s joints got stuck and broke down.
Other measures
Some more progress has been made in horizontal drilling from the Barkot side by THDC India (THDCL). A sixth blast was done at 0615 hrs on Monday and the total executed length of the drift is now 12 meters. The fabrication work on 18 ribs has been completed.
In the case of perpendicular-horizontal drilling, being done by RVNL, the equipment for micro tunnelling required for horizontal drilling has reached the site from Nashik and Delhi. The work of making the platform is under progress.
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is doing a vertical drilling exercise from the Barkot end. The air drilling rig from Indore has reached the site and all associated material of the air hammer drilling rig has been mobilized by ONGC and are on standby at Rishikesh as the road and location for placement of rig for drilling is being prepared by Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
For assisting in cutting the Auger blades and shaft, ONGC has arranged a Magna Cutter machine. Team with machinery has reached the site.