All 41 workers trapped in Silkyara tunnel rescued Successfully

In a significant development that has brought immense relief to many, all 41 workers who were trapped in the under-construction tunnel at Silkyara in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, have been successfully rescued. The news marks the end of a prolonged and challenging rescue operation that lasted for over two weeks.

The workers found themselves trapped underground when the tunnel they were working on collapsed unexpectedly. The incident sparked a massive rescue operation that involved both vertical and horizontal drilling to reach the trapped workers. Despite the challenging conditions and the complexity of the operation, the rescue teams remained undeterred in their mission to bring the workers to safety.

The rescue operation was a testament to the resilience and determination of the rescue teams, who worked tirelessly round the clock. The operation involved drilling vertically from above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. As of Monday, 31 metres had been drilled vertically out of a total of 86 metres needed to prepare an escape passage for the trapped workers.

In addition to vertical drilling, preparations were also underway to commence horizontal drilling inside the main tunnel manually. This required the rescuers to manually dig 10 to 12 metres through the debris after the auger machine malfunctioned.

Rat-hole mining

Rat-hole mining is a technique that involves digging narrow pits, typically around four feet wide, into the ground to extract coal from horizontal seams. This method is categorized into two types: side-cutting and box-cutting.

In the side-cutting procedure, narrow tunnels are carved out on hill slopes. Workers enter these tunnels until they locate a coal seam. On the other hand, the box-cutting method requires miners to first dig a vertical rectangular pit and then drill horizontally as necessary to reach the coal seam.

Despite its widespread use, rat-hole mining was prohibited in 2014 by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) due to its unscientific nature. However, it continues to be practiced unregulated across India, predominantly in several northeastern states. The working conditions in these mines are often hazardous, lacking proper ventilation, safety equipment, or structural support, leading to accidents, injuries, and even fatalities.

Despite the risks and the NGT ban, the Manipur government had previously contested the prohibition, arguing that there were no other viable mining options for the state.

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