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Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Unearthing Environmental Oversight Bypass

Abstract:

Uttarakhand, known as “the land of God itself”, went through a tragedy when a tunnel under construction collapsed and 41 workers got trapped inside the debris. The tunnel, which was being built under the 880-km Char Dham Project from Silkyara to Barkot aimed to provide a shorter path for pilgrimage and military needs. This article critically analyses the importance of geophysics and the role of rescue experts in critical times like this, who brought those workers to safety. It also delves into the harm and repercussions that hill cutting could invite. 

 

Uttarakhand known as “Dev Bhoomi” hosts lakhs of people every year for tourism and pilgrimage, because of its beauty and religious significance. Char Dham and Hemkund Sahib yatra are some of the major pilgrimage sites where tourists turn up in huge numbers, making them the backbone of Uttarakhand's economy. A tunnel under construction from Silkyara to Barkot under 880- km Char Dham project experienced a collapse that obstructed the entire project. It raised many questions and brought a number of agencies under scrutiny.  


On 12th November when the entire country was joyous and busy with Diwali festivities, with the whole nation anticipating a World Cup Win, the workers who were working in the Uttarkashi tunnel were about to experience their deadliest trauma. There was a landslide at the construction site of the tunnel on both ends, luckily the tunnel was still intact and people inside were safe from the landslide. On the 13th of November, Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami made his visit to the tunnel. The other workers inserted a 12m pipe through the debris to reach the workers and establish communication. Food was provided through the pipe; medication was sent to the needful and other pipes were laid down to avoid suffocation.


Image Source: http://surl.li/qgoks


On 14th November 800-900 mm pipes were inserted through debris in the hopes of saving them which could've led to another catastrophe. The distance between the entrance and the workers was 57 meters, also the amount of which had to be penetrated to rescue the lives of the workers. They used a special auger machine to drill holes in pipes. Then, they sent in new pipes to bring in food and water supplies. Using this method, they successfully provided the pipes as a source for their basic human needs.


On 18th November, the PMO team made five different evacuation plans to save the workers and on 19th November Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari reached there for the rescue operation and examined everything. There was an iron obstacle that obstructed the drilling path, which was later removed on 23rd November.


On the same day, a new problem emerged, the boring machine started developing cracks and the operation was again halted. On the 25th Arnold Dix, an international tunnel expert suggested vertical and manual drilling. On the next day, the vertical drilling began, with 86 meters to drill to reach the workers. By the end of the day, the machine drilled up until there were 19 meters of distance remaining, and only 12 meters were left to drill but the machine malfunctioned.


Multiple experts were called and they suggested rat mining as the solution. Rat mining is a practice where as small as five square meter pits are made and these rat miners move through the narrow spaces. Ultimately, 41 workers were saved due to the efforts of these Rat miners. The original plan of drilling horizontally was successful, and after the rescue, Arnold Dix stated this as his toughest operation. All of the workers were alive and the government took them to medical as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, and Yamunotri are sites that hold significance in Hindu Pilgrimage. And Char Dham All Weather Project was started to establish better connectivity between these sites. Costing 12,000 crores, this project aims to build an infrastructure of 825 kilometers. Enhancing infrastructure in Uttarakhand, there is potential to stimulate economic growth and boost travel-related industries, leading to increased employment opportunities. The development of a comprehensive infrastructure, including two-lane roads, bridges, and tunnels, is expected to contribute to a reduction in travel time and fuel costs. Implementation of new signboards and enhanced security measures will promote safer driving practices, potentially leading to a decrease in road accidents. Enhancing infrastructure will aid the military in securing the Indian border, particularly with China, aiming to prevent the recurrence of historical events. This approach seeks to ensure better preparedness through improved infrastructure in such circumstances.


Now, these are the benefits but there are challenges as well. The mighty Himalayas pose a big geological problem, and another problem is the water that seeps inside the rocks. There is a study which was conducted in 2010, which simply suggests that whenever a rock contains water, it is extremely difficult to identify its strength and the threshold of handling weight and pressure. The excavation begins nonetheless.


A German-Austrian engineering consultancy named Bernard Group was hired to construct this tunnel. In August, it was mentioned that building in the Himalayas is much tougher than anticipated in the initial project description. To decide on constructing a tunnel, the Supreme Court formed a committee. Environmentalists suggested a narrow tunnel, while underground construction experts argued that the methods being used, though over 200 years old, are proven and reliable. Only after studying the seismic conditions and receiving the approval of the committee appointed by the Supreme Court, did the construction begin, and yet 41 workers were trapped. A geological report submitted to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) before the commencement of the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel project shows that the proposed tunnel could encounter weak rocks and adequate support structure needed to prop up the weak rocks. "From the surface geology, it may be anticipated that the rock type to be encountered along the diversion tunnels would be 20% good (Class 2), 50% fair (Class 3), 15% poor (Class 4), and 15% very poor (Class 4)", the report said. The report also stated that the majority of rocks are sedimentary rocks like slate and slit stone, and the chances of occurrence of wedges in between the rocks which can impact the stability was also mentioned. Due to the nature of the rock, proper support was supposed to be created to avoid the danger. Any construction in the Himalayas mountains would have such conditions. The government put in every inch of effort and yet it took us more than two weeks to bring those workers to safety. 


Hence, the negligence in this part of the project could have taken the lives of those innocent individuals who were working in the tunnel. Rules should be stricter, with no exceptions allowed, whether the tunnel is short or long. It's for the safety of the people, and we shouldn't expose them to danger. Measures need to be taken to avoid the harm that a natural disaster could bring.


 

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*This article is authored by Moulika Sharma, Student of Symbiosis Law School, Noida and reviewed by Amrit Shree Updhayay, Student of Symbiosis Law School, Noida.

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