Uttarkashi: Every day is becoming difficult for the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarkashi. On Monday, officials talked to the workers through a narrow pipe. The workers urged the officers to speed up the rescue work. The workers’ poignant conversation with Uttar Pradesh government representative Arun Kumar highlighted their plight and their sense of despair. The workers told Kumar that his condition was very bad and he should be taken out as soon as possible. Kumar visited the tunnel site in Uttarkashi on Monday and interacted with stranded workers from the neighboring state. Among the workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel, 8 are from UP.
Motivating the people trapped in the tunnel, Mishra said, ‘Don’t worry and stay strong. The whole country is praying for all of you. He said that the rescue operation will be successful soon and we will go back home together. During the conversation, Akhilesh Kumar, one of the laborers from UP, said, ‘We are getting food, but the condition of all of us is bad. What is the progress of the rescue work? Please get us out quickly. It is becoming more difficult to live here with each passing day. Another worker Ram Sundar told the officers to tell our family not to worry and take care of themselves.
Kumar took information from the rescue team about the progress of the rescue operations and requested the officials to evacuate the workers as soon as possible. “Audio recordings of conversations with their family members were also shared with them to reassure the workers,” Mishra said. Amid the ongoing rescue operations, various state governments have reached out to rescue agencies, stranded workers and their families. Mishra is one of the officers who were sent to take stock of the situation.
Akhilesh Kumar, one of the workers from UP, also inquired about the progress of the rescue operations and requested an official to evacuate them as soon as possible. Ram Sundar, another worker, said, ‘Tell our families not to worry and take care of themselves.’