U'KHAND TUNNEL RESCUE: THE LONG TASK AHEAD

Five days after flash floods struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, authorities are working round-the-clock to rescue 37 workers trapped inside two tunnels at the NTPC Tapovan hydel power plan But the challenge is enormous, and the stakes high.

2021-02-13 -

STRUCTURE

The workers are believed to be trapped in the two arms of the slush tunnel that lie nearly 13m below the main water tunnel. The tunnels are filled with mounds of muck and debris.

PLAN

● The original plan was to dig deeper into the main water tunnel for access into the slush tunnels, but after reaching 100m inside (of the 1,700m), the operation was hindered by soft muck and boulders that kept flowing towards the rescuers.

● Rescue teams are now vertically drilling from the main water tunnel to the slush tunnels below to reach the trapped workers. They also plan to push through a camera through the cavity to get visuals.

PROGRESS

Drilling up to 11.5m of the total 12.7m vertical distance is complete. The operation was halted on Friday as rescuers wait for a larger drilling machine.

U'KHAND TUNNEL RESCUE: THE LONG TASK AHEAD

Five days after flash floods struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, authorities are working round-the-clock to rescue 37 workers trapped inside two tunnels at the NTPC Tapovan hydel power plan But the challenge is enormous, and the stakes high.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India

U'KHAND TUNNEL RESCUE: THE LONG TASK AHEAD

Five days after flash floods struck Uttarakhan­d’s Chamoli district, authoritie­s are working round-the-clock to rescue 37 workers trapped inside two tunnels at the NTPC Tapovan hydel power plan But the challenge is enormous, and the stakes high.

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from India

Five days after flash floods struck Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, authorities are working round-the-clock to rescue 37 workers trapped inside two tunnels at the NTPC Tapovan hydel power plan But the challenge is enormous, and the stakes high.