Relief and rescue operations are underway for the sixth day on a war footing at Silkyara Tunnel, where 40 labourers were trapped following the collapse of the under-construction tunnel.
District administration authorities formed teams that travelled to Delhi, Haryana, Gurgaon, Jammu and Kashmir, and other places, connecting with the migrant workers and encouraging them to return for voting.
As relief and rescue operations in the Uttarkashi tunnel collapse incident are underway, Union Minister and former Army chief General VK Singh took stock of the operation on Thursday and said that "we are trying our best."
Meanwhile, protests broke on Wednesday outside the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi as workers protested over the delay in rescuing 40 labourers who have been trapped inside after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on Sunday.
A portion of an under-construction tunnel between Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri national highway collapsed in the early hours of November 12, entrapping 40 labourers.
Relief and rescue operation is underway on a war footing at Silkyara Tunnel here, where 40 labourers are trapped following the collapse of the under-construction tunnel, an official said on Tuesday.
During the inspection, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed the officials to speed up the relief and rescue work. He said that it is the top priority of the government to quickly rescue the labourers trapped in the tunnel, for which every possible effort is being made.
According to officials of Hyderoelecticity Investment and Development Company Limited (HIDCL), which is looking after the construction work of the tunnel, about 36 people are trapped in the tunnel connecting Silkyara to Dandalgaon and efforts are being made to rescue them safely.
During the visit, the LG walked through different blocks of the Fruits and Vegetables Mandi and expressed grave displeasure at the "hellish" condition in which thousands of traders, more than a lakh of labourers and visitors to the Mandi were forced to live.