A chicken’s eye view of the Silkyara Bend-Barkot Tunnel from the Silkyara entrance throughout rescue operations final yr in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand the place 41 employees had been trapped inside a tunnel underneath development. Information map/PTI
The minister mentioned the mission additionally serves necessary nationwide strategic functions
The under-construction Silkyara Tunnel mission, a part of which collapsed final yr, is vital to the socio-economic growth of the area and supplies year-round connectivity to Yamunotri, a significant pilgrimage web site in Chardham, Minister Nitin Gadkari mentioned.
In his reply to the Lok Sabha, Gadkari mentioned the plan additionally serves an necessary strategic objective of the nation.
“The Silkyara Tunnel mission is significant to the socio-economic growth of the area and supplies year-round connectivity to Yamunotri, a significant pilgrimage web site in Chardham. The mission additionally serves an necessary strategic objective of the nation.
Replying to a query from Lok Sabha MPs Karti P Chidambaram and Shafi Palam Bir, Gadkari mentioned the Nationwide Highways and Infrastructure Growth Company Restricted (NHIDCL) has included provisions for development of escape routes Two-lane bi-directional development contract settlement.
“The tunnel being constructed is a single-tube tunnel with a dividing wall within the center in order that each lanes can be utilized as escape routes from one another in an emergency,” he mentioned.
The 2 MPs additionally requested the ministry whether or not the federal government was conscious of the findings of a number of reviews that pointed to development dangers as a result of presence of shear zones.
“Shear zones are frequent within the Himalayan area; subsequently, that is additionally considered whereas finishing up development works within the mountainous space. The mission was authorized considering dangers equivalent to shear zones, which have to be addressed by way of scientific expertise and strategies as per the contractual settlement, Gadkari responded.
On November 12, 2023, a tunnel underneath development between Silkyara and Barkot in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, collapsed resulting from particles falling on the Silkyara aspect. A complete of 41 employees had been trapped within the landslide. On November 28, they had been rescued safely.
The 4.5 km lengthy two-lane bidirectional tunnel is a part of the “Char Dham Mahamarg Pariyojana” and can join the Gangotri and Yamunotri axes underneath the Ladhi cross. The overall price of the mission, authorized in March 2018, was Rs 1,383 crore.
Building of the tunnel will ease the journey of pilgrims as it would present all-weather connectivity and cut back the snow-affected 25.6 km size of NH-134 (Dharasu-Barkot-Yamunotri street) to 4.5 km, thereby decreasing journey time from the current of fifty minutes decreased to five minutes.
