Lucknow: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath met the workers of Uttar Pradesh trapped in the Silkyara Tunnel in Uttarakhand and their families after their safe return. During this meeting at his official residence, he inquired about their well-being and heard about their experiences during the challenging time when they were trapped in the tunnel.
CM Yogi said, “I am happy that all the laborers from Uttar Pradesh trapped in the tunnel incident have safely returned and are now going back to their homes. The state government is standing with its people in every difficult time and will continue to do so.”
During this interaction, CM Yogi praised the courage and patience of all the laborers. He honored them with shawls on behalf of the Uttar Pradesh government and also provided them with sweets and gifts.
Notably, a total of 8 laborers from Uttar Pradesh were trapped in the tunnel accident in Uttarkashi. After spending 16 days in the tunnel, they were rescued on the 17th day. Among them, six were from Shravasti (Ankit, Ram Milan, Satyadev, Santosh, Jayprakash, and Ram Sundar), one from Lakhimpur Kheri (Manjeet), and one from Mirzapur (Akhilesh Kumar).
On CM Yogi’s directives, a nodal officer was appointed by the state government for real-time information about these labourers, and their families were updated daily about their situation. The Chief Minister himself monitored the situation closely.
Laborers informed CM about the difficult time spent in the tunnel
During this meeting, one of the laborers mentioned that when the incident occurred, they realized that there was some damage to the oxygen pipe. As they proceeded further, they saw debris coming from the front, and their courage shattered. The laborer explained that the place where they were trapped had a tunnel length of 2.5 kilometers and a width of 14 meters. There was enough oxygen in the tunnel for them to survive for two to three days, and the rest of the assistance was provided by the company and the government.
He went on to say that if the supply of food, water, and oxygen from outside had stopped, their lives would have been in danger. The laborer highlighted that both the company and the government ensured that there was no power outage inside the tunnel.
When an officer from the state government contacted them, they realized that not only the Indian government and the Uttarakhand government but also the government of their home state (Uttar Pradesh) was determined to rescue them, the laborer added.
During the conversation, the laborers also expressed gratitude for the efforts made by the UP government. Chief Minister Yogi inquired about the duration of their work in the tunnel in Uttarakhand. Additionally, he engaged in discussions with the families of the laborers to gain insights into their current situation.
Laborers expressed gratitude to CM
Jay Prakash from Shravasti expressed that meeting CM Yogi was a great experience, and the way he uplifted their morale was profoundly motivating. He shared that the initial day inside the tunnel after the incident was incredibly challenging, but as they became aware of the collective efforts outside to rescue them, their hope strengthened.
Manjeet from Lakhimpur Kheri stated that the meeting with the Chief Minister was very pleasant, and it is a tremendous honor to meet him. He never thought that one day he would have the opportunity to meet CM Yogi. Akhilesh Kumar from Mirzapur expressed his happiness with the efforts made by the Yogi government for their safe return.
