Uttarkashi: The Border Roads Organization team personnel have been instructed to transport machines to enable vertical drilling on the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarkashi through the road they recently built to access the top of the hill, officials said on Saturday.
"Soon, a joint meeting of all the departments concerned will be held and decision will be taken on when work on the vertical drilling will commence," said the official.
Officials are exploring the option of vertical drilling too as the heavy duty auger machine that was used in the horoizontal drilling through the mouth of the tunnel from the Silyara side hit an obstacle on Friday evening.
A final decision on the vertical drilling option is likely to be taken by Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation.
Expert engineers called in at the site are ready to start the drilling work on the tunnel as soon as the order is received.
Officials earlier today said that manual drilling will begin soon to cut through the rubble that separates rescuers from the 41 trapped workers in the collapsed portion of the Silkyara tunnel.
According to officials, manual drillers will get to work once the US-made, heavy-duty Auger drilling machine is removed from the pipeline through which the trapped workers are to be brought out.
Manual drillers will work to cut through the remaining rubble that separates the rescuers from the workers and enable the insertion of the pipeline through the further few metres that are yet to be covered.
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.
Success could soon be achieved in taking the Auger driller out of the pipeline, officials informed further, adding that the heavy-duty drillers could now be moved back by 22 metres.
A senior official involved with the rescue operation said manual drilling could start soon.
The workers are trapped in a 2 km-built portion, which is complete, including concrete work, which provides them safety. (with ANI inputs)
