Major news outlets report the collapse of a road tunnel in India that has trapped 41 men inside. The 4.5-kilometer Silkyara road tunnel under construction partially collapsed on 12 November 2023, trapping 41 construction workers inside for 17 days.
Raghav Chandra, ex-chairman of the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), warned two weeks after the incident that “building a tunnel through a mountain is perilous.”
Still, dangers are multiplied when such large-scale projects are poorly carried out.
He adds, “The accident is a wake-up call about the perils of undertaking massive construction projects in the fragile Himalayan range, which is under threat from intense human activity and the vagaries of the climate crisis” (India tunnel, 2023).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s infrastructure project, the Silkyara tunnel project in Uttarakhand, will provide all-weather connectivity to four holy towns in Uttarakhand—Yamunotri, Gangotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—and cut travel times between some of the country’s most famous Hindu temples.
The project also aims to improve access to India’s 3500-kilometer northern border. The tunnel will give India quicker access to its northern border, boosting its national security position.
However, the urgency to speed up the construction often ignores the manifold risks and challenges.
The collapse was attributed to the tunnel’s construction on a geological fault. The tunnel’s location is near the main central thrust of the Himalayas, which is a major geological fault and is generally accepted to be a shear zone.
Harpal Singh, project head of the construction of Zojila Tunnel, says the possible reasons for the collapse include poor geological investigation, under-designed ground support systems, mistakes during construction, poor data monitoring and mitigation measures during construction, or poor supervision control. The Zojila Tunnel is another 14.2km tunnel road under construction in the Himalayas.
Singh believes all highways and tunnels should be planned with an escape tunnel parallel to the main tunnel, which was missing in the Silkyara Tunnel project (Silkyara Tunnel, 2023).
When asked why the Silkyara tunnel did not construct a separate tunnel, officials said there is no need for such a thing as the single tube is divided into two interconnected corridors by a partition wall.
The Times of India reports that the divider wall has egress openings every 300 meters for escape and emergencies. According to the article, the project’s detailed report initially proposed an enclosed exit access within the tunnel for emergencies, but it was later deemed unnecessary.
Improving the safety of India’s under-construction road tunnels
The Tribune reports that the ambitious Rs 12,000-crore Silkyara tunnel project in Uttarakhand is one of India’s 29 under-construction tunnels spread across its ten states.
Moments after the 41 trapped inside the collapsed tunnel were rescued, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari announced that the ministry will conduct a safety audit of under-construction road tunnels in the country, which will begin within the next ten days in all 29 tunnels.
After all the necessary safety audits and repairs of the broken structure, which can take months, the tunnel construction will continue, a senior Road Ministry official announced.
Lessons from the Silkyara Tunnel collapse
As the reports pointed out, the collapse of the portion of the Silkyara tunnel project was caused by poor planning and execution.
To prevent such incidents from happening again, engineers and planners must conduct a thorough geological survey of the area before starting construction, which could help identify potential hazards, allow for the implementation of safety measures, and avoid costly incidents.
Failing to do so, as seen in the partial caving in the tunnel, has resulted in loss of lives and cost overruns.
Furthermore, Uttarakhand, where the tunnel is built, is constantly beset by landslides, earthquakes, and flooding, compounded by the effects of climate change, heightening the risk to significant infrastructure projects in the Himalayas.
Finally, the lack of an escape tunnel for emergencies also increases the risk of regular commuters, users of the tunnel, and engineers who will perform regular maintenance, inspection, and repair tasks.
Avoiding construction mistakes in the future will mean that all construction needs to adhere to the established safety guidelines and regulations, including compliance with environmental regulations, building codes, and safety standards.
Source:
India tunnel collapse ‘wake-up call’ for Modi’s infrastructure drive. (2023, November 24). France 24. Retrieved from https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20231124-india-tunnel-collapse-wake-up-call-for-modi-s-infrastructure-drive
Silkyara tunnel project to continue after safety audit, repair of broken structure: Official. (2023, November 29). The Economic Times. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/india/silkyara-tunnel-project-to-continue-after-safety-audit-repair-of-broken-structure-official/articleshow/105595911.cms?from=mdr
Choudhury, S. (2023, November 29). Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel project to continue after repair: Official. The Tribune. Retrieved from https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/india/official-silkyara-project-to-continue-after-repair-567221
Silkyara has 2 corridors, doesn’t need escape passage: Officials. (2023, December 1). The Times of India. Retrieved from https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/dehradun/silkyara-has-2-corridors-doesnt-need-escape-passage-officials/articleshow/105638267.cms
The Silkyara Tunnel Collapse a Risk management Case study. (2023, December 8). Pragmatic Project Consilium. Retrieved from https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/silkyara-tunnel-collapse-risk-management-case-study-pragmaticpc-r8onf/
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