Dehradun: The state government on Wednesday told the Uttarakhand High Court that all 41 trapped labourers in Uttarkashi tunnel were safe and healthy and that they will likely be rescued within 30 hours given the progress in the horizontal drilling through the auger drilling machine.
Prabha Nathani, counsel of the petitioner said that the state government informed the court about the efforts being made to rescue the workers at multiple levels. “State government informed the court that all workers are safe and healthy and given the progress in horizontal drilling, it is likely that workers will be rescued within 30 hours or so. The government also informed the court that food and medicines are also being provided to workers through a pipe. The hearing happened around 12.30 pm. The court has now fixed the next hearing in the case on November 24”, she said
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Manoj Kumari Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by a Dehradun-based NGO Samadhan through its president Renu Sarkar.
On Monday, HC issued notices to Centre, the state government and other relevant authorities to file their responses on the efforts being made to rescue 41 workers trapped inside a collapsed tunnel in Uttarkashi by November 22.
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The PIL alleged that the November 12 Silkyara tunnel collapse incident on Char Dham All Weather Road Project on Yamunotri National Highway is “not just an accident or disaster, but a gross criminal negligence by State government, which has failed to ensure safety measures at the tunnel site”. The PIL alleged that there was a total absence of appropriate rescue equipment, necessary tools, accessories, rescue pipes that could have been kept there at the tunnel site before starting the project.
The PIL alleged that “There is a total failure of State (government )in timely emergency/ crisis response and preparedness to assure the safety of workers at hazard prone tunnel construction project site at Silkyara Uttarkashi”
The petition pointed out that the state government has also failed to learn safety lessons from many similar accidents at tunnel sites located in higher Himalayan regions in the past.
The PIL has demanded the constitution of a special investigation team (SIT) comprising capable, committed and responsible young professionals to monitor the total compliance of SOPs and directives of the HC Court followed by regular on-site inspections to ensure the complete effective functionality of safety measures followed by timely field reports to HC. .
