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Tag: Tapovan hydropower project

  • Chamoli disaster: Many people found in Tapovan tunnel were alive till Feb 13, says official

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: After MS Khati, additional chief medical officer of Chamoli district said that those found from the tunnel must have been alive for 4-5 days, the state government officials issued a clarification on Tuesday evening.  

    MS Khati, the ACMO earlier in the day had said, “Most people found in the tunnel died 2-3 days after the flash floods. The post-mortem reports indicate that they died 4-5 days back. Many of died on February 12-13.”

    A total of 11 bodies have been recovered from the Tapovan tunnel out of which two were recovered on Tuesday. 

    ALSO READ | Chamoli Disaster: More bodies found inside Tapovan tunnel 

    Dr GS Rana, chief medical officer of Chamoli district who featured in the clarification video on the matter, said, “The Post-mortem of all 58 bodies has been conducted following the norms. These people died of trauma due to multiple reasons including injuires, filling of sludge, muck, sand and water in their lungs. I have been conducting the PMs myself and supervising the teams doing so. After going through every single PM report I have to say that with such injuries and in such conditions they would not have been alive for more than 30 minutes.”

    Rana also added in the video that the ACMO was not pary of the post-mortem teams nor he was authorized to comment in the matter. 

    Apparently, ACMO’s statement affirms allegations by the locals whose family members are missing. 

    The local residents whose family members are said to be trapped in the tunnel have alleged that the NTPC Limited officials are not being able to supervise the rescue efficiently in the early days of the disaster. 

    TNIE had earlier reported that how two senior officials at the forefront of the operations have confirmed that they got layout of the tunnel only on February 9 which hampered the rescue efforts for the first two days- Feb 7, and 8.

    A senior official had told TNIE on the condition of anonymity, “First two days we were blind!”

    Local residents lashed out on the NTPC. “Now it has been proved that we were right about the irresponsible attitude of the NTPC. They did not do enough to save our family members,” said Suraj Rao one of the protesters at the rescue site at Tapovan Hydro Power which took place on February 12. 

    The locals had also raised slogans- NTPC Murdabad and warned that no political leader should come to the spot anymore.

    Till date, apart from 58 bodies, 23 body parts have been recovered from various spots after February 7 flashfloods while 146 are still missing. 

    Severed limbs, heads, chunk of flesh amidst deposition of muck and waters of Rishi Ganga, Dhauli Ganga, Alaknanda, tributaries, rivulets and various other spots are being recovered by the multi-agency rescue team.

    ALSO READ | Over 300 personnel join Chamoli rescue operations in Uttarakhand

    Navneet Bhullar, Commandant, Uttarakhand State Disaster Response Force who is on ground supervising the teams said, “It is a harrowing sight. The bodies which are found are decomposed, disfigured so the family members and relatives are identifying them by articles wore by them- watches, jewellery, belts and even clothing in some cases.”

    Majority of the body parts of total of 23 include severed limbs. Out of these only one belonging to Vicky Kumar from Saharanpur was identified by his brother. 

    To date, a total of 53 bodies and 20 body parts have been disposed off with suitable last rites and rituals. The police have also registered 52 cases related to the missing people.

    Apart from forming a Whatsapp group to relay and gather the information from the family members of the missing, the police have issued helpline numbers for the families- 01372-251487 and 9084127503. 

    For the majority of the family members of the missing, only hope is the DNA test results.

    Om Prakash, chief secretary of Uttarakhand said commenting on the formation of the artificial lake on Rishi Ganga river, 8kms upstream , from Raini village, said, “The lake is stable and it is draining which is good. We will try to drain it fully to minimise the threat. There is also a proposal to establish a glacial monitoring institute to monitor the glaciers.”

     

  • Chamoli Disaster: More bodies found inside Tapovan tunnel 

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Multi-agency reach operations are still on in tunnels of Tapovan Hydropower Project with 6 bodies recovered on Sunday after clearing sludge from the 180-meter tunnel. 

    Meanwhile, the drilling a hole of 1 ft diameter on the ground of the tunnel has failed, said the officials who were present in the meeting to review the progress of rescue operations. 

    Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand said, “A total of 13 bodies were recovered today.  Among them, 7 were recovered from Rishi Ganga power plant and 6 from Tapovan tunnel. 155 people are missing. The rescue operations are going on full swing.”

    A total of 51 bodies have been recovered till date including a body part recovered from Rudraprayag on Sunday — over 130kms from the epicentre of Feb 7 flashfloods.

    Chamoli Disaster: Total 51 bodies recovered till date. 13 bodies recovered today- 7 from Raini village, 6 from Tapovan tunnel and one body part from Rudraprayag, over 130kms from epicenter of the Feb 7 flash floods. 155 still missing! @NewIndianXpress @TheMornStandard pic.twitter.com/6flQEO166v
    — Vineet Upadhyay (@VineetTNIE) February 14, 2021

    Swati Bhadauria, district magistrate of Chamoli district told TOI, “We have total 7 ambulances, and a chopper on standby to provide immediate medical assistance and transportation in case anyone is found alive. We are also continuing our relief operations in effected villages using air support.”

    Meanwhile, vertical drilling of Tapovan tunnel with almost 1 feet wide hole to reach Silt Filtration Tunnel (SFT) has been aborted for now after bodies were found in the main tunnel. 

    The officials of the NTPC Limited have also launched an operation in the vicinity of Tapovan barrage to recover bodies of the workers. A video has been doing rounds of the flash floods in which the workers can be seen struggling to escape losing their battle to the unprecedented flash floods. 

    Central Water Commission is conducting simulation studies on the lake formed in the Rishi Ganga river, 8kms upstream from Raini village and also examining the possibility of carrying out a controlled blast to drain out the water. 

    A trolly bridge has also been installed in Tapovan by a combined team of state public works department and the Indian Army which will carry one person at a time are being. The work to install two more bridges is on in Raini and Juwagad village to connect the villages with the rest of the world. 

    The relatives suffer in anticipation waiting for the worst.  Kailash Yadav arrived at the spot from Siwan district of Bihar in the hope to receive at least the mortal remains of his brother Subhash Yadav who worked as a welder in the project.

    “Now I don’t have confidence that he will be found alive. I hope at least his body will be found so that I can take him back to my parents,” said an emotional Kailash.

  • Chamoli rescue mission: Delay, disruption render changed strategy futile

    Express News Service
    TAPOVAN: After changed strategy and temporary disruption by two hours on Thursday, rescue attempts to save the 37 trapped men at tunnel network in Tapovan Hydropower project seem like a long shot now as no official or agency is able to give any confirmation on how much more time it will take.

    Another body was recovered on Thursday taking the tally to 35 while 169 are still missing.

    Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand said, “At this point of time, no one can tell how much time the operation will take. This is a developing situation and an unstable landscape. The response strategy keeps changing according to the developing situation. We are trying our level best and doing everything to save the men.”

    The officials added that the terrain is a huge limitation to the rescue process.

    ALSO READ: Glacier burst – Dhauli Ganga water surges, rescue work at Tapovan tunnel halted

    When asked if there is any hope for survival of the trapped men, Ujjwal Bhattacharya, director projects, NTPC Limited which provides technical inputs and the layout of the project to the multi-agency rescue team said, “My priority is to rescue the men. We should all pray for them.”

    Meanwhile, a high voltage drama ensued after water levels of Rishi Ganga and Dhauli Ganga rose due to which the rescue operation in Tapovan tunnel was suspended for two hours.

    A warning was issued to evacuate the rescue spot and leave for high grounds just in case another flash flood comes.

    The press conference by the combined team of state police, administration, NTPC and Indian Army was disrupted after a warning call from Raini village about rising levels of Rishi Ganga river came at around 2.10 pm.

    ALSO READ: Avalanche chases down Tapovan guards

    The officials on the spot — the commissioner, the district magistrate, the superintendent of police, and the deputy inspector general who were in the conference ordered immediate evacuation.

    Barring around 100 personnel from Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police and the Central Industrial Security Force, everyone left the spot for more than two hours.

    Heavy machinery such as excavators, oil tankers were also moved to higher ground and were brought in only after 4 pm.

    Earlier, drilling of the tunnel ground which started at around 3 am in the morning was stopped after over 9 hours when it reached a 6-meter-depth as sludge and water gushed in.

    ALSO READ: Drilling operation launched at Tapovan tunnel to rescue trapped workers

    The officials from NTPC Limited said that the drilling was stopped fearing damages to the ground and because they feared that the excavator machines would get stuck.

    Ujjwal Bhattacharya from NTPC Limited told, “We brought in two machines for drilling the ground of the tunnel. After the first machine did not work, we used the second one to drill the ground till 6 meters of depth. But then sludge and water started gushing and we had to suspend the drilling for the time being for safety of our men.”

    After resumption, the excavators started clearing off sludge from the tunnel to make way for the rescue team to save the trapped men.

    He added the data from the heli-bound Laser and Electromagnetic Pulse Imager and the data with the NTPC have been mapped together and analysed to see if there was a way to get any breakthrough in the ongoing operation.

    ALSO READ: Did a lost nuclear device cause Chamoli flash floods? Decades-old suspicion comes back to haunt villagers

    Adding that right now his only priority is to rescue the trapped men Bhattacharya informed, “We have also started to look for two places for bodies at the site as the muck has receded a bit. Earlier, it was not possible due to high levels of sludge accumulation.”

    NTPC officials said that they have every resource in tenfold needed for the operation in terms of machinery, expertise and manpower.

    They also added that the project has a design with proper escape routes and that the workers are fully trained and equipped but the flash floods of such a scale rendered all training and backup escape routes futile.

    “Our response time for any eventuality is half an hour. But in this case, the flash floods were of unprecedented scale. Water levels suddenly rose to 40 meters above normal. Unfortunately, our men did not get any time,” said Rajendra Prasad Ahirwar, project manager of the Tapovan Hydropower Project NTPC official.

    ALSO READ: Chamoli disaster – Experts yet to ascertain what caused tragedy

    Responding to the queries of whether the trapped workers were trained enough to deal with such a situation, he added, “Our whole crew is trained and equipped with necessary equipments. They are also given pep talks and are apprised about risks involved in such projects. Even the equipments they operate are licensed and tested with requisite certification.”

    Meanwhile, Indian Navy teams have been deployed to look for bodies in Srinagar, 150 kms from the epicenter of the disaster and elsewhere given that bodies were washed away to various locations.

    “Indian Navy divers are looking for videos at possible locations. We have also started last rites of the bodies which have crossed 72-hour time limit after being recovered. The villages which are cut off are being provided medical help and ration along with other assistance. There are places where chopper cannot land so we have dispatched teams which have called as much as 10kms in hilly terrain to deliver essential items,” said Swati Bhadauria, district magistrate of Chamoli.

    Earlier, in the day, Governor of Uttarakhand, Baby Rani Maurya and speaker of Uttarakhand legislative assembly Prem Chand Agarwal visited the spot.

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Corpse of one UP worker recovered, 33 still missing

    “We should all pray to Baba Badri Vishal to save the men. Our officers are working day and night to save the lives of the men,” said the Governor.

    The officials also told that reports of a lake formation in Rishi Ganga river in higher reaches have surfaced.

    “A meeting has was held in this regard in Delhi. We will act as per the instructions of the higher authorities in this regard,” said the commissioner.

    Meanwhile, the family and relatives anguish in pain of anticipation of the worst outcome.

    Kailash Yadav has travelled from Siwan district of Bihar in hope that his brother, Subhash Yadav who worked as a welder in the project will be rescued soon.

    “I am losing hope now. My family is already broken. These delays and disruptions are now taking a toll. I don’t know what to tell my family,” said Yadav.

  • Chamoli disaster: Rescue strategy changes after labourers found trapped in another tunnel

    Express News Service
    TAPOVAN: The strategy for rescue operation in the tunnel of Tapovan Hydropower project in Chamoli district has changed since the discovery of new information that the 37 labourers may be trapped in another tunnel below the main D-shaped ‘Intake Adit Tunnel’.

    Till now, the D-shaped 180-meter-long tunnel has been the focal point of the three-day-long rescue misson by the combined rescue team comprising Indo-Tibetan Border Police, National Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, Indian Reserve Battalion, State Disaster Response Force, Indian Air Force, Indian Navy, state police department and other agencies who are trying to get through it to rescue 37 trapped men.

    Ravinath Raman, commissioner of Garhwal division of Uttarakhand told The New Indian Express, “Earlier, the idea was that they might have been trapped inside the 180 meter tunnel at a bend. Now, the rescue team has started drilling the ground at 70-75 meters inside that tunnel to rescue the workers.”

    The development took place after a combined meeting of state government authorities, armed forces and the NTPC.

    ALSO READ: Did a lost nuclear device cause Chamoli flash floods? Decades-old suspicion comes back to haunt villagers

    “The information is constantly emerging and developing because everything is based on anticipation on the basis of the layout of the tunnel. Today we found that the sludge is pushing back from the tunnel. The consensus was reached to look for the workers in Silt Filtration Tunnel (SFT) below the main tunnel,” added the Commissioner.

    Meanwhile, earlier in the day, a senior official from the combined rescue team on the condition of anonymity said, “First two days, we were blind.”

    The official also revealed that the combined team got the detailed layout of the tunnels from the organization building the project only on Tuesday.

    The revelation comes at a time when combined forces are racing against time to save the lives of trapped men.

    ALSO READ: Chamoli disaster – Experts yet to ascertain what caused tragedy

    A representative of the company who is in Chamoli when contacted with the query related to the matter said, “I cannot answer that as my role is different.”

    Radhakrishna, general manager of Rithwik Projects Private Limited said, “We are giving fullest cooperation to the rescue team and other people and we are leaving no stone unturned to save those men. Our technical team are cooperating fully with the rescue team.”

    The Hyderabad-based company is working under the NTPC contract agreement since 2012 in Tapovan Vishnugad Hydro Electric Project.

    The company has also submitted a list of 115 workers, employees who have been missing since the Sunday flash floods including the 37 labourers trapped in the tunnel. 

    ALSO READ: Uttarakhand glacier burst – Corpse of one UP worker recovered, 33 still missing

    However, the commissioner of Garhwal division said that they had the layout from the beginning.

    “The layout was never an issue. We have it from the beginning.”

    TNIE has already reported how the rescue team is racing against time to save the trapped men.

    It is notable that the right information helped the rescue team save 12 men trapped in another tunnel on Sunday itself in an operation that spanned for over 6 hours.

    The video shared by the ITBP went viral as the man danced his way out gesturing ‘Balle Balle’ as he was being rescued.

    ALSO READ: Not much progress in rescue operation, says Uttarakhand DGP

    Piyoosh Rautela, executive director, Uttarakhand Disaster Mitigation and Management Center (DMMC) commenting on the issue said, “The rescue team is working on the very spot where the men are trapped since the very beginning. It doesn’t matter if they had the layout or not. Also, tunnel rescue is altogether a different game. Rescue during earthquake, flood and landslide is different while tunnel rescue is more difficult.” 

    He added, “No one will know the layout better than the people involved in the construction of the project. Also, the sludge removal is a tricky task as it moves and fills the space created, making it a difficult and time taking process.” 

    Till Wednesday 5.30 pm a total 34 bodies were recovered while 170 remained missing. Meanwhile, Uttarakhand director general of police was quoted saying that ‘there is not much progress in the rescue operation’.

    Commenting on the progress of tunnel rescue operation, Nilesh Anand Bharney, incharge of State Police Disaster Control Room said, “The rescue team is trying in every way possible to save the lives of the men. It is a tough situation.”

    The rescue team is now using drones, three excavator machines and other equipment with over 100 men working to clear the tunnel while over 800 personnel are on the site. Apart from this around 700 personnel are on standby.

    Other flood efforts

    Till Wednesday evening, the state government agencies have restored water supply in 10 out of 11 blades where water supply was disrupted due to flash floods. Similarly, the power supply has been restored in 11 out of 13 villages which were lost due to the washing away of total of five bridges.

    Ration is also being provided through air support in the villages which are cut off.

    Uttarakhand state public works department on Tuesday started constructing four trolly bridges at the locations where motorable bridges and suspension bridges were washed away in the flash flood.

    The trolly bridges which will carry one person at a time are being installed in Raini village, Tapovan and Juwagad village to connect the villages.

    ALSO READ: 2019 study had warned of Himalayan glaciers melting

    Meanwhile, relatives from various states to where the missing and the trapped belong such as Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar and Jharkhand are pouring in Chamoli with their hope hanging by on a thin thread.

    Harpal Singh from Ludhiana of Punjab whose four family members including brothers and cousins are missing visited Tapovan police station to provide details.

    “I hope they are found alive and if trapped in tunnel I am praying for everyone to be rescued alive. I don’t know what to say, think or do in this situation. Our families are numb with shock,” said Singh.

    Prem Singh, a resident of Raini village, an epicenter of the flashfloods whose mother is missing said, “We have lost all hope now. It has been more than 3-days. We cannot even conduct her last rites and rituals as her body is yet to be found.”

    Residents of Raini and adjacent villages continue to sleep in forest areas on higher altitudes fearing another avalanche sometime soon.

  • Uttarakhand glacier burst: Families of the missing lose hope, share grief

    Express News Service
    DEHRADUN: Bansilal’s eyes swelled with apprehension while talking about his son Mahendra who is trapped with 36 others in the tunnel rescue team is trying to clear for more than 24 hours. 

    “Seems like fate has got us. His footwear shop was closed due to lockdown after which he got a job here in November. It has been more than 24 hours now. All I can do is pray,” says Bansilal.

    Bansilal was among many others waiting at the rescue site of the Tapovan hydropower project, 15 km from Joshimath in Chamoli district.

    The flash flood swept away two hydropower projects in its way — 13.2 Megawatt project on Rishiganga river followed by 520 Megawatt Tapovan project on Dhauliganga river after which 202 people went missing while many others got trapped.

    A total of 20 bodies have been recovered so far from various locations where the flood wreaked havoc. 

    Madan Singh (60) from Kimana village of Chamoli district is waiting for three of his family members to be rescued from the tunnel. Arvind Singh, Kishan Singh, and Rohit Singh — all his nephews in their 20s are trapped in the tunnel.

    “My family is totally devastated. We don’t know whether we should hope for the better or be prepared for the worst. We are hanging by the thin thread of hope,” says Singh. 

    A farmer by profession, Singh recalls how Arvind used to love to watch football. “He is a big fan of the football games and would tune in to the channel showing football matches by irritating everyone else. I want him to fight this tragedy and survive to irritate us again all our lives,” Singh said before he lost control and burst into tears.

    ALSO READ | Uttarakhand glacier burst: Survivors recount how a phone call saved their lives

    Meanwhile, in Raini village, which is known for the legendary ‘Chipko Movement’ of the 70s, many are already mourning the loss of dear ones.

    Prem Singh, a resident of the village whose 82-year-old mother went missing said, “Amaa went out for her usual fodder gathering. In our worst nightmares, we never thought of any such thing happening.”

    The residents of the village, around 70 of them spent the first night after the flash floods in an area adjacent to a forest infested with wild animals.

    Balavant Singh (75), who saved his life from the floods by running away said, “It was like we were choosing to risk our lives both ways. We are still in fear of floods. It remains part of our lives. We took shelter in a dilapidated building and made a fire to keep us warm.”

    Residents of the village, who are still in shock and terrified, said that they are lucky to have survived but mourning the loss of their family members.

    Radha Devi (65), who went out to collect firewood recalls, “Boulders came flying and the bridge was swept away in a second. The waves roared like thunder and made me deaf. I shouted my heart out but my beloved sister-in-law Amrita was washed away. I saved myself by moving to a higher place. I will never be able to forget that sight and sound.”

    Specially abled Chet Singh, who lost his wife Madhuri Devi, said he has lost his will to live. “My wife Madhuri has done no wrong to anyone in her life and now where do I look for her. She will never come back. These blasts and projects are to blame. Our lives do not matter in comparison to these projects,” wailed Singh.