Page 6 - Construction

India's construction sector levels up as housing demand spurs economy

The construction sector grew 13.3% in July-September from a year earlier, up from 7.9% in the previous quarter and its best performance in five quarters, the data released on Thursday showed

Tunnel collapse: Video by trapped workers from inside Silkyara surfaces

The video, accessed by ANI, was shot by one of the trapped workers before they were eventually rescued

Hoping for good news by evening: Nodal officer for Silkyara tunnel rescue

Addressing the media at the tunnel site, Neeraj Khairwal said, "As of now, we have pushed 55.3 metres of the pipe. This includes clearing of the rubble as well as laying the pipe

Trapped workers talking to kin, counsellors daily to stay motivated

"Don't be nervous, we're on it." That's what family members of Saba Ahmad, one of the 41 workers trapped at Sikyara tunnel for the last 15 days, keep telling whenever they communicate with him. A mic has been sent to the workers, stuck in a 2-km built-up area beyond the rubble accumulated in the collapsed part, through a pipe which helps them talk to people outside. As the rescue operation got delayed due to the hurdles in drilling, Saba Ahmad was counselled by doctors and psychiatrists to keep him motivated, his brother Naiiyar Ahmad told PTI. A team of doctors, stationed at the rescue operation site, talk to the trapped workers twice a day -- from 9 am to 11 am and 5 pm to 8 pm. Also, family members of the trapped workers are allowed to talk to them anytime they like. The administration has set up a camp for the kin of the workers outside the tunnel. Naiiyar, who is staying in a room provided by the construction company, near the camp said he talks to his brother twice daily and

Tunnel rescue: Vertical drilling done up to 31 metres, says BRO's ex-DG

Vertical drilling from above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel has been done up to 31 metres, former DG of Border Roads Organisation Harpal Singh said on Monday at the site of the rescue operation. A total of 86 metres have to be drilled vertically to prepare an escape passage for the 41 workers trapped for the last 15 days. Pipes of 1.2 metres in diameter have to be laid vertically through the top of the tunnel by this method adopted as a second option. Preparations are also underway to start horizontal drilling inside the main tunnel manually, he said. Rescuers need to manually dig 10 to 12 metres through the rubble after the auger machine broke down. "Frames of 800 mm diameter pipes have been prepared. We will move ahead by half a metre to one metre gradually. If all goes well and no obstacles are encountered a 10-metre stretch can be covered in 24-36 hours," he said. The auger drill -- a corkscrew-like device with a rotary blade at the front end -- that was drilling into the debris go

Tunnel rescue: Auger machine debris removed, manual drilling to start soon

Earlier today, the auger machine being used for horizontal drilling of the tunnel that got stuck inside the pipe was cut and removed using a plasma cutter

Uttarakhand tunnel collapse update: Vertical drilling underway, 86 mts left

On Sunday, rescuers drilled over 20 metres into the hill above the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel. Rescue workers have to drill down 86 metres to reach the tunnel

Tunnel collapse: Remaining parts of auger machine stuck in rubble removed

The remaining parts of the auger machine stuck in the rubble at Silkyara tunnel, where 41 labourers have been stranded for the last 15 days, were removed early on Monday. Manual drilling will now start at the tunnel to prepare an escape passage for the trapped workers. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Principal Secretary P K Mishra and Uttarakhand Chief Secretary S S Sandhu will visit Silkyara on Monday to review the rescue operation. The auger drill -- a corkscrew-like device with a rotary blade at the front end -- that was drilling into the debris got stuck Friday evening, forcing officials to give up on the 25-tonne machine. Parts of the auger were left to be removed from an 8.15-metre area on Sunday night. Extracting the shaft and fins of the machine from the rubble completely was necessary to pave the way for manual drilling and pushing of pipes which is in the final stretch with around 12 metres more to go.

U'khand CM inspects tunnel site, Arnold Dix sheds hope amid delay in rescue

Speaking to the media, Dhami said on Saturday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is very sensitive towards the workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel

Setback to tunnel rescue work, expert says auger machine has busted

The auger machine engaged for drilling through the rubble at the Silkyara tunnel to rescue 41 trapped workers has busted, international tunnelling expert Arnold Dix said on Saturday. "Augering is finished...the auger is broken, destructed," he told reporters in Silkyara. The auger machine was facing repeated obstructions in the rubble in the past few days. When asked about other options such as vertical or manual drilling, he said all options are being explored. "Every door we are opening has its advantages and disadvantages. What we have to ensure is the safety of the rescuers as well as those who are trapped," he said. The multi-agency rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel on Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed following a landslide, trapping the 41 workers inside.

U'khand tunnel rescue: Manual drilling will start once Auger removed

The ongoing operation to rescue workers, who were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on November 12, entered its 14th day on Saturday

U'khand tunnel rescue: Option of manual drilling being considered

With the auger machine encountering hurdles in the rubble time and again, rescuers are considering switching over to manual drilling at the Silkyara tunnel where 41 labourers have been trapped for the past 13 days, officials said on Saturday. Drilling at the collapsed portion of the tunnel to rescue the trapped men was halted again on Friday night, in yet another setback to the multi-agency effort. An official said the auger drilling machine faced a hurdle, apparently a metal object, a little after drilling resumed Friday, a day after officials had put the operation on hold following technical problems. With one hurdle or the other not letting the auger machine drill further and lay steel pipes through the rubble to prepare an escape route for the trapped workers, the option of manual drilling is being considered, an official said. However, he said, manual drilling takes longer time. The multi-agency rescue effort began November 12 when a portion of the under-construction tunnel o

Uttarkashi tunnel rescue: Drilling work on hold at Silkyara tunnel

Pipe laid through the rubble to prepare an escape route for workers trapped at the Silkyara tunnel remained stalled on Friday morning with the platform on which the drilling machine stands being stabilised by shotcreting, an official said. Boring through the rubble was put on hold again Thursday apparently after cracks appeared in the platform on which the drilling machine rests, in a fresh hurdle to the rescue of 41 workers trapped inside for 12 days. The dampener came hours after the operation resumed earlier in the day, following a six-hour delay to cut through an iron girder that came in the way of the auger machine late Wednesday night. This is the third time that the drilling exercise has been halted since the multi-agency rescue mission began on November 12 after a stretch of the under-construction tunnel in Uttarakhand's Char Dham route collapsed.

U'khand tunnel: Board games, cards to help trapped workers relieve stress

Rescuers plan to provide board games and playing cards to the 41 workers trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel for 12 days as the operation to evacuate them continues to get disrupted by multiple delays, an official said on Thursday. Late on Thursday, boring through the rubble of the collapsed tunnel was put on hold again, apparently after cracks appeared in the platform on which the drilling machine rests. Dr Rohit Gondwal, one of the psychiatrists at the rescue site, told PTI, "We are planning to provide ludo and chess boards and playing cards to help them (trapped labourers) relieve stress. The operation is getting delayed and it appears that it will take some more time." He said all 41 workers are fine but need to stay healthy and mentally fit. "They told us that they play 'chor-police', do yoga and exercise daily to de-stress," Gondwal said. Speaking on the mental health of the trapped workers, another medical expert said their morale needs to stay high and they must remain ...

Uttarkashi tunnel incident: Drone cameras are being used for monitoring

The workers have been trapped for 13 days after a portion of the under-construction tunnel collapsed on November 12

Himalaya tunnel disaster: India needs more caution on infrastructure

This is clearly an incredibly fragile part of the world, where large-scale development projects can only be conducted with the utmost caution

Steel rods blocking rescue efforts removed at Slikyara Tunnel collapse site

According to Kulbe one of the main hindrances, the presence of steel rods along the path of the rescue pipes have now been removed

Uttarkashi tunnel collapse: Laying of 12-metre pipeline still left

The workers have been trapped since November 12, when the under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot got blocked due to debris falling in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side

U'khand tunnel collapse exposes callous attitude towards safety: Unions

Central trade unions said the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi in which 41 workers remain trapped "exposes the callous attitude" of the government towards the occupational safety and health of the workers. "The Platform of Central Trade Unions and Sectoral Federations/Associations express their anguish at the failure of the authorities to take responsibility for the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarakashi, Uttarakhand," said a joint statement issued by eleven trade unions and sectoral federations. The signatories include Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Hind Mazdoor Sabha (HMS), Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU), All India United Trade Union Centre (AIUTUC), Trade Union Coordination Centre (TUCC), Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), All India Central Council of Trade Unions (AICCTU), Labour Progressive Federation (LPF), United Trade Union Congress (UTUC), and independent Sectoral Federations and ...

Tunnel collapse: Big news expected in next 24 hours, says official

Drilling with the American auger machine resumed at the Silkyara tunnel overnight to prepare an escape passage for the 41 workers trapped inside for more than 10 days, officials said on Wednesday. According to officials, 800 mm diameter steel pipes have been inserted up to 39 metres through the rubble, with another 14 metres to go before the rescuers reach the trapped labourers. Once the drilling is complete, the passage will be used to evacuate the labourers from the tunnel. "We have pushed in the pipes up to 39 metres by now. Everything is fine. I have spoken to them (trapped workers). Their morale is high," former advisor to the PMO Bhaskar Khulbe told reporters in Silkyara. Asked to spell out a timeline for the evacuation, he said, "We hope to celebrate Igas with them". Igas is a festival celebrated in the Garhwal region after Diwali. It will take place on Thursday. The drilling was suspended since Friday when the auger machine hit a hard object. But the resumption is likely