Dehradun: State council of educational research and training (SCERT) Uttarakhand has announced that new textbooks on disaster management are being prepared for class 9 and class 10 which will include wide information on the Silkyara tunnel collapse incident in November last year. These revised textbooks will be implemented in the 2015-26 educational session.
New textbooks will cover the present challenges in disaster management
According to Vandana Garbyal, director, academic research and training (ART),
“We already have a book on disaster management published by a private publisher but we want to include the present contexts in it, so we are going to publish on our own. Silkyara tunnel collapse will also be included in this book and it will be implemented in the 2015-26 curriculum.”
Several disasters, prevention and mitigation will be the part of this book
This new book will also include several disasters, its reasons, prevention and mitigation measures, and awareness about it. Additionally, disaster incidents across the country like earthquakes, tsunami, will also be included to have a widespread knowledge about disaster mitigation.
Silkyara incident highlighted the geological challenges of tunnel construction in the Himalayas
The Silkyara Bend–Barkot tunnel collapse occurred on November 12, 2023, in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand. A section of the tunnel, which was under construction as part of the Char Dham project, caved in early morning hours, trapping 41 workers inside. The rescue operation, which lasted 16 days, involved multiple agencies and experts, successfully saving all the trapped workers. This incident highlighted the geological challenges of tunnel construction in the Himalayan region, where varied rock types and seismic activity make such projects particularly risky.
Remarkable work by rat-hole miners
The rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand was a remarkable effort involving a team of 12 ‘rat-hole’ miners. The miners, employed by Rockwell Enterprises, worked tirelessly for 26 hours using basic tools like shovels, spades, and trolleys to clear the debris. Their efforts were described as heroic, and the rescued workers referred to them as “angels from above”.