Rescue stopped in Uttarkashi Tunnel from Friday
Plasma cutter arrived to remove the blade of the auger machine broken during excavation, phone line will also be inserted in the tunnel. Now drilling will not be done with auger machine to rescue 41 laborers trapped in Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarkashi. The rescue work has been halted since Friday due to the breakdown of the American auger machine just 10 meters away from the workers. Now an attempt will be made to cut the shaft and blades of the auger machine with a plasma cutter and take them out.
Bhavika Nandwana
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Experts say that if the pieces of the machine are not removed carefully, it may break the pipeline laid in the tunnel. Therefore, after the broken part of the auger machine is removed, manual drilling will start. However, nothing can be said about how much time it will take.
Meanwhile, preparations to start vertical drilling are in full swing today. Work on this can start by this evening. Besides, phone landline will also be inserted in the tunnel. With this, workers will be able to talk to their families.
Now know why horizontal drilling stopped
Actually, since November 21, horizontal drilling was being done in the tunnel from Silkyara side. It was quite successful. Out of the 60 meter portion, 47 meter pipe has been laid through drilling. There was a distance of about 10-12 meters left to the workers, but on Friday evening, the shaft of the drilling machine got stuck due to rods coming in front of the drilling machine.
When more pressure was applied from the machine, it broke. Some part of it was broken and removed, but a large part is still stuck there. It will be taken out by manual drilling, then further excavation will be done. Actually, only one person can go and dig in the pipe. Therefore, it may take a lot of time to do this.
Now Plan B: Vertical drilling, but it is extremely dangerous
Drilling from Silkyara side is currently halted, due to which work is being done on Plan B. In this, excavation will be done vertically from the hill top. Materials are being collected at the hilltop site and a platform is being prepared on which drilling will be done by placing the machine. This is the shaft of vertical drilling, which is being taken to the hill top.
This work will be executed by Satluj Vidyut Nigam Limited (SVNL). However, there is said to be a lot of danger in this because there are workers in the tunnel below. A big hole will be made from the top to go down, there is a possibility of a lot of debris falling in it. It is not certain how much time this will take.
