Should govt ask for Elon Musk’s Boring Company’s help to rescue 41 workers stuck in the Uttarkashi tunnel?
In Uttarakhand, the Silkyara tunnel collapsed on November 12, trapping around 41 men. A rescue operation for these trapped workers was put on hold on November 19 as the agencies were involved in preparing for the next stage.
With the difficulties to reach the individuals trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi mounting, and the rescue efforts getting harder, should the government rope in the billionaire Elon Musk's Boring Company to join the operations?
What is the status of rescue operations?
In Uttarakhand, the Silkyara tunnel collapsed on November 12, trapping around 41 men. A rescue operation for these trapped workers was put on hold on November 19 as the agencies were involved in preparing for the next stage by adopting multiple approaches to reach the men trapped for the past few days.
In order to rescue the 41 trapped men, Tehri Hydroelectric Development Corporation was going to start 'micro tunneling' on Sunday night on the Char Dham route from the Barkot end of the under-construction tunnel. On November 17, an American-made heavy-duty auger machine encountered a hard obstacle while boring for about 22 metres through the collapsed debris of 60-metre stretch from the Silkyara end. The boring through the debris has for now been halted.
A series of alternative rescue plans to reach the workers trapped inside the under-construction tunnel are being worked on. According to officials, a road to the top of the hill has been laid to dig a vertical shaft into the tunnel. Union Road Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Sunday said a breakthrough is expected in two and a half days.
The built-up portion of the tunnel is about two kilometres and is 8.5 metres high with the availability of water and electricity. So far, a 6-inch wide tube has been pushed 39 metres deep into the rubble that would send food and water to the trapped men once it cuts through completely.
Why Boring Company?
Elon Musk had earlier, during the cave trap incident in Thailand, offered the services of his company for rescue operations. Boring Company is a subsidiary of Elon Musk's SpaceX.
Musk had in July 2018 said he sent engineers from SpaceX and the Boring Company to Thailand's Chiang Rai province of Thailand to join efforts to rescue a soccer team (12 boys and their coach) trapped in the Tham Luang cave. The operations involved the Thai Navy and had at that point already claimed the life of a Navy SEAL. Rains and a complex cave system had made the situation difficult and precarious.
“We are speaking with the Thai government to see how we can help, and we are sending SpaceX/Boring Company people from the US to Thailand today to offer support on the ground. Once we confirm what exactly will be helpful to send or do, we will. We are getting feedback and guidance from the people on the ground in Chiang Rai to determine the best way for us to assist their efforts," Boring Company told The Verge.
While Musk and his companies' services were rejected, the rescue was completed after a week of intense wait-and-watch.
Maybe not the answer...
Musk's offer to help were rebuffed by officials. Further, British cave explorer Vern Unsworth who aided in the Thai cave rescue, branded his attempts as PR for his companies.
Also Read | Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Govt says ‘might reach trapped workers in two and a half days if...’
"It just had absolutely no chance of working. He had no conception of what the cave passage was like. The submarine, I believe, was about 5ft 6in long, rigid, so it wouldn’t have gone round corners or round any obstacles," he told Business Insider in an interview.
Musk was also criticised in media reports for his impractical suggestions and Narongsak Osatanakorn, head of the joint command center was quoted in reports stating that his company's "mini-submarine would not have been practical".
Musk responded to one such CNN report with his usual controversial approach and claimed that Osatanakorn was “not the subject matter expert”. Notably, while Osatanakorn did step down as Chiang Rai governor during the rescue, he was still acting as commander for rescue operations.
Musk's response was on his social media site X, then known as Twitter: “The former Thai provincial governor (described inaccurately as “rescue chief”) is not the subject matter expert. That would be Dick Stanton, who co-led the dive rescue team. This is our direct correspondence. Moreover, based on extensive cave video review & discussion with several divers who know the journey, SpaceX engineering is absolutely certain that mini-sub can do the entire journey & demonstrate at any time.”
International expert roped in
Meanwhile, the government has already called on international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix to examine and survey the Silkyara tunnel. Dix, an Australian, reached the site and began by offering prayers at a temple that was built at the main entrance of the tunnel.
“We are going to get those men out. Great work is being done here. Our whole team is here and we are going to find a solution and get them out. A lot of work is being done here. It is important that not only the men rescued but also the men who are rescued are safe. The whole world is helping. The team here is fantastic. The plans are looking fantastic. The work is very systematic. The food and the medication are being provided properly," Dix was quoted by ANI.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on November 20 also assured that all necessary rescue equipment and resources will be arranged by the Central government.
Uttarakhand CMO stated, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami. PM took information about the ongoing relief and rescue operations of the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi. PM Modi said that necessary rescue equipment and resources are being provided by the Central government."
PM Modi further emphasised that the workers would be evacuated safely with mutual coordination between central and state agencies. PM Modi said, "There is a need to maintain the morale of the stranded workers."
Catch all the Business News , Breaking News Events and Latest News Updates on Live Mint. Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates.
Business NewsNewsIndiaShould govt ask for Elon Musk’s Boring Company’s help to rescue 41 workers stuck in the Uttarkashi tunnel?
First Published:20 Nov 2023, 03:39 PM IST
- Top Gainers
- Top Losers
- 52 Week High