Silkyara tunnel breakthrough scheduledfor April 16; CM, Union min may attend

Dehradun: The much-anticipated breakthrough of the under-construction Silkyara-Polgaon (Barkot) tunnel on the Yamunotri National Highway is scheduled for April 16, according to officials of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) overseeing the project. The officials added that the breakthrough will involve both sides of the tunnel opening up after almost one-and-a-half years of the incident that had catapulted the tunnel project into limelight.
On Nov 12, 2023, a portion of the under-construction Silkyara tunnel had collapsed, trapping 41 workers inside. After a tense 17-day operation, all the trapped workers were successfully rescued.
The breakthrough event is expected to be attended by chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Ajay Tamta, MoS in the ministry of road transport and highways. In preparation for April 16, Uttarkashi district magistrate (DM) Meherban Singh Bisht conducted an on-site inspection of the tunnel on Sunday. Accompanied by SP Sarita Dobal and senior NHIDCL officials, the DM also reviewed security arrangements and logistics.
A senior official of the project told TOI the first phase of treatment for the 51-metre-long cavity — caused by the collapse within the Silkyara tunnel — was complete. This involved the process termed as "heading', while the second phase "benching" is scheduled to be completed in the next 60 days.
Total length of the tunnel is 4.5km, out of which 4km was completed before Nov 2023. The excavation of the remaining 500m has now been completed, the official said.
Additionally, work on the Baba Baukhnath Temple, located near the tunnel site, is set to be completed on April 16, with the pran pratistha ceremony scheduled for the same day, the official added.
Notably, though significant progress has been made, the tunnel project may still take another two years to complete. Initially, the deadline to complete the project -- started in 2018 -- was 2022. Following delays due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was extended to 2024. The revised deadline is now Dec 2026.
Stretching between Silkyara and Polgaon, the tunnel is part of the Char Dham all-weather road project and is expected to significantly reduce travel time to Yamunotri -- one of the four Char Dham shrines that form part of the pilgrimage circuit in the Garhwal Himalayas.