Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Amid the ongoing rescue operations at the Silkyara tunnel of Uttarkashi, trapped labourers were supplied solid food items such as veg pulao, matar-paneer, and chapatis for dinner on Tuesday night. The 150 packets of food items were supplied through a pipe stuck through the collapsed part of the structure.
Speaking to the media, cook Sanjit Rana said that the dinner was prepared under the doctor's supervision with less oil and spices to make it easily digestible. "We have prepared veg pulao, mattar paneer, and butter chapati for the workers trapped inside. We have packed the food in adequate portions."
Khichdi and Dalia could not be delivered
Earlier, on Tuesday, the Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, said hot meals such as Khichdi and Dalia could not be delivered in cylindrical plastic bottles through the 6-inch pipe as something got stuck inside. "But now we have cleared the pipe," Khulko said, adding that today fruits such as oranges, bananas and medicines were supplied to the trapped workers.
Abhishek Ramola, the owner of the hotel where food for the trapped people was prepared, told news agency ANI that around 150 packets had been prepared for dinner on Tuesday. "We have cooked food for those trapped inside. We prepared rice and paneer today. We prepared about 150 packets for them. All items were cooked under the supervision of a doctor. They are being provided with easy-to-digest food," he added.
Earlier in the day, Lt Gen (Retd) Syed Ata Hasnain, a member of the National Disaster Management Authority, said efforts to rescue the trapped men are underway from five sides but the best possible method is the horizontal drilling by the Augur machine from the Silkyara end of the tunnel.
The huge America-made auger machine boring through the debris had come across a hard boulder on Friday afternoon, triggering vibrations that forced rescuers to put the operation on hold due to safety concerns. However, rescue workers continued to prepare for other options – including drilling from above the tunnel to reach the workers.
About the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse
It should be mentioned here that rescue operations are being carried out on a war footing since portions of the tunnel collapsed following a landslide early on November 12, leaving the workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami are also keeping close eyes on the situation and assured of all possible help. The Silkyara tunnel, about 30 km from the district headquarters of Uttarkashi, is part of the ambitious Char Dham all-weather road project of the central government.
(With inputs from agencies)
