Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Chaudhary, who has been waiting for the safe exit of his son who was trapped in the Silkyara tunnel along with 40 other workers for the last two weeks, said on Sunday that once he comes out, he will never let him work here again. Chaudhary, an agricultural laborer from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh, who had earlier lost one of his sons in an accident in Mumbai, is currently spending his time anxiously waiting for the safe return of his second son.
Manjeet’s father will never allow him to work in the tunnel
Amidst the slow pace of rescue work, he said that Manjeet is my only son. If anything happens to him, how will my wife and I live? Twenty-two-year-old Manjeet is among the 41 workers who were trapped in the collapse of a part of the four and a half kilometer long Silkyara Tunnel being built on the Chardham Yatra route on November 12. Manjeet’s father, who reached the spot on the second day of the tunnel collapse, talked to him on Sunday through a communication channel established through a six-inch pipe.
I am worried about the delay in rescue – Manjeet’s father
Manjeet’s father said, ‘My son is fine. I am a little worried because of the delay in rescue operations. Today I told him that this is a war but he should not be afraid. We will succeed soon. Choudhary said, ‘We are very poor and had come here with a loan of Rs 9000 by mortgaging our wife’s jewellery. Here the administration gave me a jacket and shoes and also paid off my loan.
Talks are being held with family members
The administration has set up a camp outside the tunnel here for the families of the stranded workers. They are also being made to talk to their family members trapped in the tunnel every day. Due to the failure of the American auger machine, the drilling being done to make a path through the debris to reach the trapped workers was stopped. The help of plasma cutter brought from Hyderabad and laser cutter brought from Chandigarh is being taken to cut the blades of the auger machine stuck in the debris.
Hope for rescue soon
It is noteworthy that the workers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarakhand for the last 14 days are hopeful of rescue soon, but their wait is getting longer with each passing day. The American auger machine for the rescue operation of workers has failed. During excavation, drilling had to be stopped many times due to technical deficiencies, after which the blades of the auger machine got stuck, which became a cause of trouble. Now a plasma machine has been called from Hyderabad to remove the parts stuck in the debris of the auger machine.