The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) will undertake safety audit of all 29 under-construction tunnels across the country, the Centre informed on Wednesday.
The move has come after an under-construction Slkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi collapsed in which 41 labourers are trapped, who are still being rescued. The tunnel has collapsed on November 12.
"NHAI officials, along with a team of experts from Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) as well as other tunnel experts, will inspect the ongoing tunnel projects and will submit a report within seven days," the statement said.
With a total length of about 79 km, the 29 under-construction tunnels are spread across the country with 12 tunnels in Himachal Pradesh, six in Jammu and Kashmir, two each in Maharashtra, Odisha, Rajasthan, and one each in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, and Delhi.
NHAI also signed a memorandum of understanding with Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL).
As part of the agreement, KRCL review design, drawing, and safety aspects related to tunnel construction and slope stabilisation of NHAI projects.
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