SILKYARA TUNNEL (Syllabus: GS Paper 3 – Economy/Infrastructure)

Context: Recently, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways of India, expressed his complete relief and happiness as 41 trapped laborers in the Silkyara Tunnel Collapse have been successfully rescued.

Silkyara Tunnel 

• Location: The 4.5-km tunnel is currently under construction, connecting Silkyara and Dandalgaon on the Brahmakhal-Yamunotri segment of the National Highway.
• Project Purpose: This tunnel forms a crucial part of the Char Dham all-weather road initiative, linking four sacred Hindu sites.
• Government Initiative: The Chardham Mahamarg Vikas Pariyojana is an initiative by the Central government aimed at enhancing road connectivity to the four sacred sites in Uttarakhand: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.
• Objective: To upgrade and widen 1100 km of highways, transforming them into all-weather roads.

Other Incidents of Tunnel Collapse in Himalayas

• Kiratpur- Nerchowk Tunnel collapse in Himachal Pradesh, 2015
• Tehri Hydropoject Tunnel Collapse 2004.