The platform of the auger machine was repaired in Uttarkashi

The pipe has reached 47 meters. Now 16.2 meters of excavation remains. If there are no obstacles during drilling, 41 laborers can be evacuated today. Today is the 13th day that they are stuck in the tunnel.

Porridge and fruits will be sent this morning
Food packets are also being prepared for the 41 stranded labourers. They will be sent porridge and fruits for morning breakfast.

The auger drill machine had to be stopped thrice on Thursday
On Thursday, the 12th day of the rescue operation, the American auger drill machine had to be stopped thrice. Late in the evening, due to strong vibration during drilling, the platform of the machine caved in. After this the drilling was stopped till Friday morning.
Earlier, at 1.15 pm on Thursday, excavation of the remaining 18 meters was started to reach the workers, but after drilling 1.8 meters the excavation had to be stopped due to the presence of rebar in the debris. It was repaired by 7 experts who arrived by helicopter from Delhi. Officials said- 1.86 meter drilling took place today. There is still 16.2 meters of excavation left.

Nodal Secretary of Rescue Operation, Neeraj Khairwal said that on Thursday, due to the rebar coming in the debris, the pipe had got bent a bit. The auger machine was damaged. With the help of two experts, the rebar was cut, after which the drilling work started again. Even on Wednesday night, the rebar had come in front of the auger machine. The NDRF team had cut the bars and separated them in the night itself.

Now know how the request will be done, what is the preparation

• Once the drilling is complete, a 15-member NDRF team will go inside through an 800 mm pipeline with helmets, oxygen cylinders and gas cutters. People trapped inside will be informed about the conditions and weather outside. Doctors say that since there will be a huge difference in the temperature inside and outside the tunnel, the workers will not be brought out immediately.
• If the workers feel weak, the NDRF team will pull them out of the pipeline through a temporary trolley fitted with skates. After this, 41 laborers will be taken to Chilyansaur Community Health Center in an ambulance. A 41 bed hospital is ready here. It will take about 1 hour to reach Chilyansaur, for which a green corridor has been made. If needed, the workers will be airlifted to Rishikesh AIIMS.
• Dr. Abhishek Sharma of the Mental Health Department of Uttarkashi said that all the workers might be going through psycho somatic trauma due to being trapped in the tunnel for 12 days. Their mental health may be adversely affected. Therefore, all the workers will be counseled one by one.

What happened till now?

• 22 November: Success in sending breakfast, lunch and dinner to the workers. More than 15 meters of drilling was done by Silkyara with auger machine. In view of the workers coming out, 41 ambulances were called. A team of doctors was deployed near the tunnel. A 41 bed hospital was prepared in Chilyansaur.
• November 21: The camera was sent inside through endoscopy and the picture of the trapped laborers emerged for the first time. He was also talked to. All the workers are fine. There was success in delivering food to the workers through a new 6-inch pipeline. Drilling started with auger machine. Three rescue plans were announced by the central government. First- If there is no obstruction in front of the auger machine, rescue will take 2 to 3 days. Second- It will take 10-15 days to dig from the side of the tunnel and evacuate the workers. Third- It will take 35-40 days to dig the tunnel from Dandalgaon.
• November 20: International tunneling expert Arnold Dix reached Uttarkashi and conducted survey and finalized 2 spots for vertical drilling. Success was achieved in laying a new 6-inch pipeline to provide food to the workers. A rescue tunnel was made for the rescue of the workers working with the auger machine. BRO completes road construction for vertical drilling near Silkyara.
• November 19: In the morning, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari and Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Dhami reached Uttarkashi, took stock of the rescue operation and assured the families of the stranded people. Drilling started again from Silkyara End at 4 pm. Construction of another tunnel to deliver food began. A plan was made to send food or build a rescue tunnel by sending a small robot from where the debris had fallen in the tunnel.
• November 18: Drilling work remained halted throughout the day. Workers trapped due to lack of food complained of weakness. PMO advisor Bhaskar Khulbe and Deputy Secretary Mangesh Ghildiyal reached Uttarkashi. Drilling was planned from five places.
• November 17: The health of two laborers deteriorated in the morning. He was given medicine. At 12 noon, drilling stopped due to stones coming in the way of the heavy auger machine. 24 meter pipe was inserted inside the tunnel from the machine. The new auger machine reached Dehradun from Indore at night, which was sent to Uttarkashi. At night, the tunnel was cut from above and a survey was conducted to rescue the trapped people.
• November 16: Installation of 200 horse power heavy American drilling machine Auger was completed. The rescue operation started again at 8 pm. 18 meter pipes were laid inside the tunnel at night. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami held a review meeting of the rescue operation.
• November 15: After drilling for some time as part of the rescue operation, some parts of the auger machine got damaged. Workers clashed with the police outside the tunnel. They were angry over the delay in the rescue operation. After the intervention of PMO, Hercules aircraft of Air Force from Delhi reached Chilyanisaud helipad carrying heavy auger machine. These parts got stuck in the plane itself, which could be taken out after three hours.
• November 14: Due to continuous mudslide in the tunnel, experts from Norway and Thailand were consulted. Auger drilling machine and hydraulic jack were used. But due to continuous debris coming, a plan was made to take out the workers by laying 900 mm thick pipes i.e. about 35 inches. For this, help of auger drilling machine and hydraulic jack was taken but these machines also failed.
• November 13: By evening, the pipeline started being laid 25 meters deep inside the tunnel. The work had to be stopped after 20 meters due to debris coming in again. Since then, oxygen, food and water are being continuously provided to the workers through pipes.
• November 12: Debris started falling in the tunnel at 4 am and by 5.30 a huge amount had accumulated up to 200 meters inside the main gate. Oxygen, medicine, food and water started being sent inside the pipes laid to drain water from the tunnel. NDRF, ITBP and BRO were deployed in rescue operations. Debris up to 15 meters was removed with a 35 horse power auger machine.