Trapped For 15 Days, Workers In Uttarakhand Tunnel Hope For Rat-Hole Mining Miracle

New Delhi: The rescue operation for 41 workers stuck in a tunnel in Uttarakhand for 15 days has taken a new turn, as experts have resorted to the rat-hole mining technique to clear the rubble and create an escape route for them. Rat-hole mining is a method of extracting small amounts of coal by drilling holes in the ground, usually practised in Meghalaya.

The experts, who have come from Delhi, Jhansi and other places, have been hired by Trenchless Engineering Services Private Limited and Navayuga Engineers Private limited to apply the rat-hole mining technique horizontally in the collapsed part of the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. They will have to drill at least 10 to 12 metres by hand, using hand-held drilling machines and gas cutters, an official said.

Neeraj Khairwal, Additional Secretary, Uttarakhand government and the state nodal officer for the rescue operation, said the skilled team of workers will remove the muck by hand and push the tunnel pipe (800-mm) gradually through the rubble.

One of the workers, Mohan Rai, said they will wear oxygen masks and glasses for safety and work in teams of three. He said they can remove five-six metres of rubble in 24 hours.

Another expert, Rakesh Rajput, said they can remove 10 metres of muck in 20 hours using this method.

The exact cause of the tunnel collapse is still unknown, but the rescue team is hopeful that the rat-hole mining technique will help them reach the trapped workers soon.