According to official sources, a protective canopy is being erected inside the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers have been stranded for the past two weeks, in order to safeguard the rescue crew. In addition, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has intervened to give the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel a landline so they can communicate with their families as part of efforts to reassure them and reduce their stress.
Kundan, a BSNL official, said they are in the process of sending a small landline phone to the stranded workers through the pipe. “Through this, they will be able to talk directly to their families,” he said.
He said BSNL has set up a small telephone exchange at the tunnel site and the phone will be connected through a line.
The stranded workers have also received some mobile phones so they can play games, according to a senior official involved in the rescue effort.
“There is no mobile network nearby but we are also considering providing Wi-Fi connectivity. We are also considering providing a cricket bat and ball to the workers so that they can play cricket. You can spend your time playing because there is a lot of space inside the tunnel where the workers are trapped, so cricket can be played easily,” the official said.
Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain, a retired member of the National Disaster Management Authority, stated on Saturday that there hasn’t been any progress in the drilling efforts to free the 41 workers who have been stuck in the Uttarkashi tunnel for 13 days over the past 24 hours. The American-Auger machine had a broken section, according to the NDMA member, which prevented the possible escape route.