Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand: Nineteen workers employed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) have been stranded inside the powerhouse of the Dhauliganga hydropower project in the Ealagarh area near Dharchula, Pithoragarh district. The entrapment was caused by a landslide triggered by heavy rainfall, which blocked both the normal and emergency tunnel entrances to the facility.
According to Pithoragarh Superintendent of Police Rekha Yadav, the workers remain in contact with company and administrative officials and have sufficient rations inside the structure.
Deputy District Magistrate Jitendra Verma confirmed that JCB machines from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have been deployed to remove the debris. Despite ongoing rock falls, authorities aim to clear the pathway by evening to facilitate the workers’ safe exit.