Uttarakhand Catastrophe: Hope & Prayer In The Air Outside The Tunnel

Loved ones stuck outside the tunnel, prayer from family members waiting outside…learn more

Tuesday, 9th February 2021

The rescue personnel comprising of a joint team made up of SDRF, NDRF, ITBP and the Army, are attempting to evacuate nearly 35 workers who got stuck within the tunnel situated at the location of the Tapovan-Vishnugad power project of the NTPC. The project was exposed to massive damages due to the flash floods that occurred on Sunday.  Outside the tunnel, an atmosphere of tension and trepidation prevails. Relatives of the workers who are caught in the tunnel for more than 36 hours now are waiting outside, praying with all their might for the safety of their loved ones.

Pal Chand, aged 58 years, is not bothered about the sharp wintry chills and the huge magnitude of slush and muck left behind by the dangerous flash floods. His eyes are just fixed on the long tunnel of 950 meters. His eyes reflect hope and his lips are moving in silent prayer for the well-being of his loved one.

The tunnel is badly clogged with slush but Pal Chand still hopes there would soon be a major breakthrough. Vineet Saini, his son is an engineer by profession and is employed with the NTPC. He is one of those stuck inside the tunnel.  As soon as the news of this natural disaster reached Saini’s father, Pal Chand he departed from his home at UP’s Amroha. “We reached here around 3 am as soon we came to know of the mishap. My heart is sinking with every passing minute but I am hopeful that I will be reunited with my son and he will emerge safe and sound,” he remarked with teary eyes

Driver Pradeep Shah who had been working with the hydropower company tries to recall the calamity that had caused the workers and engineers to get trapped within the tunnel. “Everything happened in a matter of seconds. I was standing on top of the construction site when I saw a huge wave of water coming from behind. I shouted and even blew loud whistles but within seconds, around 13 workers as well as the engineers were tossed up by the water and washed inside one of the four gates of the tunnel.”

A couple of workers, who were working outside the tunnel when the disastrous flash floods struck, had a narrow escape. Vinod Kumar, one of the workers, states he is spending each moment thanking his luck since then. “I was engaged in my work when I heard someone shouting, ‘Site khaali Karo jaldi (Vacate the site immediately). I instantly scrambled for safety. A couple of stones and debris hit me from behind but I did not look back. It is only by the grace of God that I managed to escape in the nick of time.”

As the rescue personnel is trying to reach out to those who are trapped inside the tunnel, the family members state that they are actually hoping that their near and dear ones, too, will come out from that tunnel soon. Sati Bisht’s brother, Padminder Bisht, is a supervisor at the hydro project site and he is one of those stuck inside the tunnel. Sati Bisht, in this context, told the TOI, “As soon as I came to know of the incident, I came here from Pipalkoti which is a two hours’ drive from Tapovan. I am staying put till I see my brother again.”

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

Times Of India Indiatimes