Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: 6-Inch Pipe Installed; DRDO Sends Robots

Uttarkashi: The massive operation to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district looks set to see light at the end of the tunnel.

In a significant breakthrough, agencies working round the clock have managed to instal a six-inch pipe into the debris, which will help provide solid food items to the trapped workers and ensure better communication.

National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) Director Anshu Mansish Khalkho told mediapersons on Monday that rescue workers were able to communicate with those trapped inside through the newly-installed pipe.

“We have achieved our first breakthrough which we had been trying for the last nine days and was our first priority. A 6-inch pipe has been installed and they (trapped workers) can hear us through it. We will now provide them with food and medical supplies through that pipe,” he said.

In another major development, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) has pressed two robots into the operation.

“DRDO has sent 2 robots weighing 20 kg and 50 kg. The robots move on the ground. The loose ground there has raised apprehensions whether the robots will be able to move there or not. Other machinery will be there within a day or two,” Khalkho informed.

The Border Road Organisation (BRO) is constructing roads to facilitate the rescue process.

“BRO is constructing roads wherever necessary at this end and the Barkot end. Roads are ready on both sides, now we are waiting for the machinery. The machines are very heavy, they cannot be airlifted,” he added.

Also Read: Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: International Tunnelling Expert Arnold Dix Optimistic About Rescue Efforts