Hot Khichdi being filled in cylindrical bottles for labourers trapped in Silkyara tunnel | Dehradun News

DEHRADUN: After an alternative six-inch lifeline pipe successfully reached the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 laborers had been trapped for over a week, rescue efforts have taken a heartening turn.

Now, rescuers are preparing hot meals, specifically Khichdi, which will be sent to the stranded workers in cylindrical bottles.
Hemant, the cook responsible for preparing the Khichdi, expressed that this marks the first instance of sending a hot meal to the workers.

He stated, “This food will be sent inside the tunnel. We are sending Khichdi. We are only preparing the food which we have been recommended.”
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The tunnel collapse occurred on November 12 during the construction phase from Silkyara to Barkot, with a muck falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side, trapping the laborers.
In a significant breakthrough, an alternative six-inch lifeline pipe has reached the 2 km-built tunnel portion of the collapsed structure where the laborers are trapped. Colonel Deepak Patil, the rescue operation in-charge, highlighted the capabilities of this lifeline, stating, “Through this alternative lifeline, we can send food, mobiles, and chargers inside the tunnel.”

Regarding the food items to be sent, Colonel Patil mentioned that, considering the condition of the laborers, a list has been prepared in consultation with doctors, and plastic cylindrical bottles with wide mouths will be used to send bananas, apples, Khichdi, and Daliya.

The Director of National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), Anshu Manish Khulko, conveyed the joy among the trapped laborers upon learning about the breakthrough. He stated, “Earlier there was doubt about what would happen if the first lifeline was closed. But now that we have established an alternative lifeline, now we will go with full force.”
Simultaneously, two robotics machines from the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), weighing 20 kg and 50 kg, have arrived at the site. However, attempts to use these machines inside the tunnel faced challenges due to the loose strata and rubble, as explained by the NHIDCL Director.
(With agency inputs)