Residents of Uttarkashi’s village are concerned over the increasing leakage from a 16-km inlet tunnel that supplies water from the Bhagirathi river into Joshiyara barrage, following last month’s tunnel collapse in Silkyara town. Dharasu Village in Uttarkashi is located barely 35 km away from the rescue site.
The leakage has surged in the past two years, raising concern for disaster in the locality.
Residents claimed that the leakage has damaged their agriculture field, and after raising concerns with Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVL), a team of experts was sent, but the leakage continues. The leakage was first reported in 2008, and later it was repaired.
After 14 years, in 2021, it resurfaced with more intensity. Residents fear that water might impact the soil beneath the mountain, leading to a potential calamity in Joshimath, which had reported large-scale land subsidence last year.
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The workers were trapped for 17 days after a part of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12. The rescue operation was expected to be straightforward and last only a couple of days, however, a series of technical setbacks led to its delay. During the final stretch of the evacuation, around a dozen rescuers took turns digging through rocks and debris overnight Monday into Tuesday using hand-held drilling tools after the auger machine broke down.
After being pulled out, the 41 workers were initially kept under medical observation at a hospital in Chinyalisaur, and later brought to AIIMS-Rishikesh for further check-ups. After two days of keeping under observation, the AIIMS on Thursday night said that all the workers were healthy and could go home.
