Uttarakhand tunnel collapse

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in news?
• What is Char Dham all weather road project?
• News Summary: Uttarakhand tunnel collapse
• Silkyara Tunnel Accident
• The rescue operations

Why in news?

• About 40 workers are trapped inside a tunnel after the under-construction tunnel structure collapsed in Uttarakhand on November 12.
  • The tunnel is a part of the Char Dham all-weather road project which commenced in 2016.
• This has prompted the authorities to launch a mega search and rescue operation.

What is Char Dham all weather road project?

• It is a highway expansion project to widen 889 km of hill roads to provide all-weather connectivity in the Char Dham circuit.
• The project, envisaged in 2016, covers Uttarakhand’s four major shrines — Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri and Yamunotri — in the upper Himalayas.
• 

Image Caption: Line diagram of Char Dham Project

News Summary: Uttarakhand tunnel collapse

Silkyara Tunnel Accident

• About the tunnel
  • The total length of the tunnel, which is meant to connect Silkyara to Dandalgaon in Uttarkashi district, is 4.5km. 
  • The double-lane tunnel is pegged as one of the longest tunnels under the Char Dham all-weather road project and aims to reduce the journey from Uttarkashi to Yamunotri Dham by 26 kilometres. 
  • From the Silkyara side, 2.3km of tunnel has been constructed, while 1.6km of tunneling work has been completed from the Barkot end. Approximately, a 400m stretch of the tunnel is yet to be constructed.
• The accident
  • The workers are trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel located on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri Road.
  • The collapse happened about 270m from the entrance of the Silkyara side. 
  • 

Image Caption: The Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse

The rescue operations

• Agencies involved
  • The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) and the police are among the main figures in the multi-agency rescue operations.
• Current situation
  • As per the officials, the labourers are safe, and are being provided with food, water and oxygen.
    • The people trapped were contacted through walkie-talkies, through which it was learned that all of those trapped were unharmed. 
    • As per their request, food was provided through a compression pipe. The distance to reach those trapped is approximately 60 meters.
  • 

Image Caption: Silkyara Tunnel Accident – Rescue operation

Q1) What is National Disaster Response Force (NDRF)?

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) is a specialized force in India for disaster response. The NDRF was established in 2006 under the Disaster Management Act, 2005. 

Q2) What is Silkyara Tunnel?

The Silkyara Tunnel is a 4,531 meter-long, two-lane, bi-directional tunnel being constructed in Uttarakhand. The tunnel is part of the Chardham Project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.

Source: What we know of the Uttarakhand tunnel collapse | Times of India | NDTV | Indian Express