Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari and Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami visited the Silkiyara tunnel in Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, on the eighth day of ongoing rescue operations. Officials estimate that, if all goes as planned, the rescue effort could take an additional four or five days. The condition inside the tunnel is reported to be challenging, with concerns raised by a loader operator, Mrityunjay Kumar, about the slow progress in bringing out the trapped laborers. Mrityunjay emphasized the urgency, stating that the morale of the trapped laborers is deteriorating as they have been surviving on dry food for a week.
One of the trapped laborers, Deepak Kumar, has relayed his plea for swift rescue, citing inadequate and improper food supply. Deepak, the 41st laborer identified in the Silkiyara tunnel, was initially not accounted for among the trapped workers. Amid technological efforts, rescue teams have now incorporated faith-based measures, responding to villagers’ requests for divine intervention. In response to local pressure, the company restored the temple of Baukhanag Devta outside the tunnel, believing that its removal had incurred the deity’s wrath, leading to the unfortunate accident.
Villagers, including Praveen Jayada and Dhanpal Singh, expressed disappointment that the company had failed to fulfill its promise to establish a temple of Baba Boukhanag near the tunnel during its construction. The recent reinstatement of the temple and a special puja are seen as efforts to appease the local deity and seek divine grace for the successful rescue of the trapped laborers.
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