Uttarkhashi rescue: All 41 workers pulled out of tunnel safely

Silkyara(Dehradun): After 17-day long mega operation, all the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district were safely extricated here on Tuesday evening.
‘Operation Silkyara’ was successfully completed following the tireless work of the rescue teams of the Central and Uttarakhand state governments.
All the 41 workers trapped in the tunnel came out safely on the 17th day.
PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari spoke to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami over phone to enquire about the success of the operation.
On November 12, 41 workers were trapped in an under-construction tunnel at Silkyara on Yamunotri highway in Uttarkashi district due to a landslide.
A rescue operation was launched as soon as the incident was reported. SDRF personnel, who arrived from Dehradun, along with the local police and district administration immediately joined the rescue.
Chief Minister Dhami and Union Road Transport Minister Gadkari reached the spot to take stock of the situation.
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and Highways General (retd) V K Singh was still present on the spot along with the chief minister.
JCB was first installed to remove debris in the tunnel, but when the debris fell from above, there was no success, so drilling was started in the tunnel by requisitioning an Auger machine from Dehradun. The Auger machine responded. Then the American Auger machine from Delhi was transported to the spot. For this, the help of Air Force Hercules aircraft was taken. These aircraft transported the machine parts to the Chinyalisaur airstrip and from here a green corridor was created and transported to Silkyara.
The machine also malfunctioned due to the presence of a rod after drilling about 50 meters into the tunnel. Then the plasma cutter was brought from Hyderabad. After cutting the auger with a cutter, manual drilling was started on the 16th day and on the 17th day the pipe of life was delivered to the workers.
Dhami continued to conduct on-site inspections as well as encourage the rescue teams.
In the rescue operation, all organizations, officers and employees including NDRF, SDRF, BRO, RVNL, SJVNL, ONGC, ITBP, NHAIDCL, THDC, Uttarakhand State Government, District Administration, Indian Army, Air Force played important roles.
PM Modi called to Chief Minister Dhami and extended his best wishes on the safe evacuation of all the 41 labourers in Silkyara. During this time, he inquired from the Chief Minister about the workers.
He asked what arrangements have been made for the health care, leaving the house and family members etc of the workers after being removed from the tunnel.
The Chief Minister apprised the Prime Minister that all the labourers have been taken directly to the hospital in Chinyalisaur after coming out of the tunnel, where their necessary health check-up etc. He also informed that the families of the workers have also been taken to Chinyalisaur for the time being, from where the state government will make full arrangements to drop them home as per their convenience.
He said that with the coordination of all the central government agencies and the state government, all 41 workers have been evacuated safely.