By Our Staff Reporter
Uttarkashi, 23 Nov: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Union Minister of State General VK Singh (Retd) held a review meeting regarding the ongoing rescue and relief and operations at the Silkyara tunnel where 41 workers are trapped for the past 13 days. At the meeting, the CM reiterated the officers that all the agencies should conduct relief and rescue work in coordinated manner. He asked them to make every possible effort to rescue the trapped workers safely at the earliest possible.
The Chief Minister asked the officials to take special care of the workers trapped in the tunnel. Every possible item including food should be made available inside as per the workers’ demand. They should be made to talk to doctors every day. Also, continuous communication should be maintained between the workers and their families.
Earlier, CM Dhami reached the Silkyara tunnel from Uttarkashi, where he had stayed overnight in the hope of an early conclusion of the rescue operation, and took stock of the rescue operation inside the Silkyara tunnel along with MoS VK Singh, who had arrived at the rescue site early this morning bringing along with him a team of engineers from New Delhi in a chopper.
Dhami and Singh sought information regarding the progress of the rescue operation and the issues that cropping up. After reaching the site, Dhami first sought blessings of the local Deity Boukhnag at the makeshift temple set up at the main entrance of the tunnel.
Dhami also spoke to the international tunnelling expert from Australia, Prof Arnold Dix, about the technical aspects of the rescue operation.
Importantly, Dhami also spoke to the workers trapped inside through the audio communication system installed in the tunnel and encouraged them to hang on and stay motivated. He informed them that the rescue work was continuing on war footing and was in the final stage. He also informed them that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is constantly monitoring the situation and is regularly seeking updates about the progress of the rescue. The whole country was standing with the trapped workers.
The CM also talked to the rescue teams engaged day and night in the rescue operation and lauded their efforts. He said that due to their hard work, the rescue work is nearing its target. He said that the contribution of the rescue workers in saving the precious lives trapped in the tunnel would always be remembered. He said that special care has been taken to ensure that the workers engaged day and night in the rescue operation do not face any kind of problem. On this occasion, the Chief Minister also praised workers Pradeep Yadav and Balwinder who had successfully carried out the extremely difficult task of crawling inside the pipe to cut and remove the metal pieces (iron bars) blocking the end of the pipe during drilling.
Dhami also sought information about the process of drilling with an auger machine. He also checked the quality of food being sent to the trapped workers.
Dhami and Singh also met the NDRF, SDRF, police personnel, health workers and engineers engaged in relief work and encouraged them.
During the meeting, former advisor to the Prime Minister and Officer on Special Duty to the Government of Uttarakhand Bhaskar Khulbe, Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Anurag Jain, MD, NHIDCL, Mahmood Ahmed, Commissioner, Garhwal Division, Vinay Shankar Pandey, IG, Garhwal, Karan Singh Nagnyal, MLA Sanjay Dobhal, MLA Suresh Chauhan, Secretary Dr Neeraj Khairwal, DG, Information, Banshidhar Tiwari, District Magistrate Abhishek Ruhela, Superintendent of Police Arpan Yaduvanshi and others were also present.
