In a significant breakthrough, the first drift tunnel of Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel was successfully crossed on Thursday morning. This achievement now allows travel from the Silkyara end to the Barkot end within the tunnel.

Major milestone achieved: Silkyara tunnel’s first drift tunnel successfully crossed in Uttarakhand

Uttarkashi: Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarkashi of Uttarakhand state has hit the headlines across the world when 41 workers had been trapped inside the tunnel for 17 days. In a major development in the tunnel construction process, on Thursday, the first drift tunnel successfully crossed at both ends, enabling people to travel inside the tunnel from the Silkyara end to Barkot end. Following the Silkyara tunnel accident on 12 November last year, it has become possible to cross the tunnel for the first time.

The drift tunnel, constructed to clear the debris from a collapsed section of the Silkyara tunnel, has been successfully completed. This breakthrough allows workers and engineers to enter the tunnel from the Silkyara end without any hindrance to complete the tunnel work as soon as possible. The construction team celebrated this achievement by distributing sweets. Three drift tunnels are planned to remove the debris, with the first one completed on Thursday.

Central Government gave permission to the NHIDCL to start construction

Following the incident, on January 23 this year, the Central Government’s Ministry of Road Transport granted permission to the NHIDCL to commence construction. Initially, de-watering was carried out to start construction work inside the tunnel. Afterwards, under expert supervision, the construction of three drift tunnels was proposed to facilitate debris removal. Using shotcrete to solidify the debris, a one-meter wide drift tunnel was constructed at both corners of the debris.

NHIDCL confirms this development

According to NHIDCL director, Anshu Manish Khalko, “A drift tunnel has been crossed which will pave the way for further construction. Presently, efforts to break-through the entire tunnel are being made from the Barkot end only. No big machine can enter from the Silkyara end to ease the construction work. Additionally, the construction of the remaining two drift tunnels will continue. The second tunnel has already been excavated to a depth of 17 to 18 meters, while the third tunnel is yet to be started.”

A 17-days long rescue operation saved 41 workers

On November 12 last year, a massive landslide struck the 4.5-kilometer-long Silkyara-Barkot tunnel, part of the Char Dham road project, trapping 41 workers inside and sealing the tunnel’s entrance. A 17-day rescue operation ensued, during which the trapped workers were safely extracted using 800 mm pipes inserted by an auger machine. However, the debris remained uncleared. On Thursday, the engineers and employees of the construction company were overjoyed and distributed sweets.