SILKYARA TUNNEL RESCUE SHOWS THAT TEAMWORK IS KEY

When 41 workers were trapped in a collapsed tunnel, various government agencies across India coordinated closely to bring them out unharmed. It was an outstanding bit of collaboration

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INDIA may have been hugely disappointed by the loss in the cricket World Cup final on November 19, but nine days later it had an occasion to cheer again as a nation. Forty-one workers from a private company contracted by the National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation were stuck in a tunnel for 17 days due to the partial collapse of a tunnel's roof, and were finally rescued unharmed. The preparedness and mitigation measures may have been inadequate but it was the response mechanism which ensured no stone was left unturned for the rescue. The superlative effort, which has come to be understood as the finest example of a 'whole of government approach' in any emergency situation, is likely to be long quoted for the innovation, devotion and leadership displayed, commencing from the PM himself. It needs some elaboration.

The fact that the incident happened in Uttarakhand's Char Dham project will probably result in some criticism about tunnelling in the fragile Himalayan region. That is a different matter. The benefit of avoiding 26 km of movement on a treacherous road would eventually be available to the public and the Army through the Silkyara tunnel.

No doubt lessons will need to be learnt through detailed technical investigations to determine the real cause of the collapse.

Changes in design and material will also need to be incorporated. However, that is not the purpose of this column. What we are examining and also extolling is the rescue effort post a disaster which could have been fatal for all those trapped. This is about one of those instances where the government machinery under the leadership of the prime minister, various organs of the state.