Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand where 41 workers are trapped for 11 days: All you need to know

Today marks the 11th day, since the under-construction Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi collapsed on November 12. Rescue operations to free the 41 workers trapped in the tunnel post a

This year’s Diwali turned out to be a dark occasion for 41 workers and their families at an under-construction tunnel on the Gangotri-Yamunotri national highway in Uttarakhand.

While, the entire country was preparing to celebrate the festival of lights on November 12, a sudden collapse occurred in a 100-meter portion of the proposed 4.5-kilometer Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. A landslide caused the roof of the tunnel to collapse, sealing the entrance and trapping the workers under tons of loose dirt and falling debris.

Rescue operations by different agencies, NDRF, ITBP, Army engineers, SDRF, fire and emergency services, Border Roads Organisation and other technical agencies of the Central government to free the 41 trapped workers are on. Machines for abroad and international experts too have been brought in to bring the workers out alive. President of International Tunneling Underground Space Professor, Arnold Dix arrived at the tunnel site on Monday to help the rescue operations. Chris Cooper, a micro tunnelling expert and a chartered engineer with an experienced track record for delivery of major international key civil engineering infrastructure, Metro tunnels, Large Caverns, Dams, Railway, and Mining Projects, who is also a consultant for the Rishikesh Karnprayag rail project is also present assisting the rescue ops.

What is the Uttarkashi tunnel?

The Rs 853 crore tunnel connecting Dharasu to Yamunotri is being built to protect road users from landslides. It is a part of the Char Dham highway development project. Once completed, this tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity and reduce 25.6 km snow-affected length to 4.5 km, resulting in reduction of travel time to 5 minutes instead of the 50 taken at present.

What do ecologists say about the tunnel and the environment around it?
Ecologist Anil Prakash Joshi, founder of the Uttarakhand-based Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organisation (HESCO) said, “It is not like the mountain roads were immune to natural calamities earlier. But now both the frequency and intensity have increased. And it is to do with how these roads are being built. Our road-building agencies need to learn from other countries on how to protect our mountains,” an India Today report said quoting Joshi.

“The angle of hill cutting for road construction should be between 30 and 45 degrees in soil, 75 to 80 degrees in soft rock slopes, and 80 to 90 degree in hard rock slopes. Cutting more than these values or uncontrolled ball­asting creates unstable slopes,” said Anil Sinha, head of geotechnical engineering, Central Road Research Institute (CRRI).

According to the CRRI report, rocks rich in clay minerals get saturated and lose their strength and become more vulnerable to weathering due to the presence of water. Speaking about the ‘man-made reasons’, CRRI said that it has been observed that the soil, construction and demolition waste are dumped in the slide area which does not allow the vegetation to grow on the slopes.

Examining the design of the Char Dham project, which, after a lengthy court battle, is widening the highways to 10 metres and double lane with paved footpaths, reveals that the project engineers had taken into account a number of precautions to prevent landslides and other disasters. In certain areas of the Char Dham project, MoRTH is now working out ‘mitigation measures’. The mitigation measures might cost around Rs 500 crore, say officials.

Around 200 locations in Uttarakhand are prone to landslides and these locations have been identified for rectification. Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari said that he will find a lasting solution. “Roads are built in the hills because people there demand connectivity. It is a tough challenge but we are working on it” he said.

It is in February 2018 that the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave its approval to the construction of 4.531 km long 2-Lane Bi-Directional Silkyara Bend – Barkot Tunnel with escape passage including approaches on Dharasu -Yamunotri section between Chainage and Chainage in Uttarakhand.
The project falls along NH-134 (old NH-94) in Uttarakhand. The project being built under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) Mode is funded under NH (O) Scheme of Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and is part of the ambitious Chardham Mahamarg Pariyojana.
The construction period of the project is 4 years. The civil construction cost of the project is estimated at Rs. 1119.69 crore, while the total project cost is estimated at Rs. 1383.78 crore, which is inclusive of the cost towards Land Acquisition & Rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities as well as Maintenance and Operation cost of tunnel for 4 years.
“The construction of this tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Yamunotri, one of the dham on Chardham Yatra, encouraging regional socio-economic development, trade and tourism within the country. It will reduce the travel distance from Dharasu to Yamunotri by about 20 km and travel time by about an hour. The proposed tunnel will save number of trees that would have been required to be removed in the road improvement of 25.600 km, had the original alignment been followed,” a government release said.
The project is being implemented by the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways through National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd. (NHIDCL), a wholly state owned company, formed in 2014 for development of highways in states on the international borders.

Also Read: Uttarakhand Tunnel: Matar paneer, butter roti, veg pulao served to trapped workers

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