Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue: Shravasti village holds its breath as wait for six trapped locals grows
Despite hopeful expectations, the families were disappointed on Friday as efforts to rescue their loved ones proved unsuccessful by the time of this report.
SHRAVASTI In Shravasti’s Motipur Kala village, the families of six labourers find themselves increasingly uneasy as their loved ones remain trapped in the Silkyara Barkot tunnel in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand. Among the 41 labourers stuck inside the tunnel since November 11, six hail from Motipur Kala.
Despite hopeful expectations, the families were disappointed on Friday as efforts to rescue their loved ones proved unsuccessful by the time of this report. Guddu, the uncle of Santosh Kumar, one of the trapped labourers, mentioned that the families had anticipated positive news on Friday. However, there is no clear timeline for the rescue operation, leading to a growing sense of despair among the waiting families.
Santosh’s father passed away eleven years ago, making Santosh and his younger brother Ashok the primary support for their mother, Videohni. Guddu shared that Videohni, upon learning of her son’s predicament, has refrained from eating and communicating with anyone.
Despite well-intentioned advice for patience, the waiting has become increasingly challenging for the families. Sunita, the wife of another trapped labourer, Ram Milan, has fallen severely ill and now relies on the support of family members for movement.
Dhanpati, the mother of Ram Sundar, the youngest son in her family, expressed the somber atmosphere in the village. With the incident occurring on Diwali, many villagers refrained from celebrating, and not a single diya was lit in Dhanpati’s house. Her granddaughter Surabhi continually asks when her father will return, and the family remains without answers.
Dilip Rana, a class 9th student at Navoday Vidyalay Shravasti, shared the deep concern of his family as they await news about his father, Satydev, trapped in the Silkyara tunnel. Ayodhya Prasad Misra, a relative of Satydev, echoed the hope for the safe return of all the village men but acknowledged the increasing tension with each passing day.
Amid delays in the rescue operation, Union minister VK Singh met with Uttar Pradesh rescue and relief operation coordinator Arun Kumar Mishra in Uttarkashi district. Singh inquired about the labourers from Uttar Pradesh and assured that all would be safely rescued. Arun Mishra updated Union minister Ajay Misra ‘Teni’ and communicated with the relatives of Manjeet, a trapped labourer from Lakhimpur Kheri district. The rescue operation, involving both manual and mechanical efforts, aims to safely extricate all the trapped men in the near future.
