Uttarakhand CM Dhami orders magisterial inquiry into Chamoli tunnel accident, announces Rs 4 lakh compensation
Chamoli, August 14
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the tunnel accident in Chamoli and announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the next of kin of the workers who died in the incident.
Speaking about the accident, Dhami said rescue operations were continuing and that 19 of the 22 people trapped inside the tunnel had been rescued. The injured workers are receiving medical treatment, while efforts are continuing to rescue those still trapped.
"Every life is precious to us," Dhami said, adding that action would be taken against those found responsible for any negligence. He also stressed that safety must remain the most important consideration in construction work.
The Chief Minister's remarks came after he visited the accident site at Mayapur in Pipalkoti and later met injured workers at the District Hospital in Gopeshwar. He reviewed the rescue operation and medical arrangements and took updates from officials and doctors.
The accident occurred after debris and water entered an under-construction THDC tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project. The incident trapped 22 people inside the tunnel, prompting a large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies.
According to the administration, seven people have died in the incident so far. The injured workers rescued from the tunnel were taken to the District Hospital in Gopeshwar, where doctors and Health Department teams are monitoring their condition.
Meanwhile, Badrinath MLA Lakhpat Butola raised questions over safety arrangements at the tunnel construction site and alleged serious negligence and irregularities in the construction work.
Butola said the primary objective during the accident was to save the lives of those trapped and claimed that rescue teams had worked continuously towards that goal. He also said that most of the victims were from states other than Uttarakhand and that he had spoken to the Chief Ministers of the respective states.
The MLA urged the government to increase the compensation, seeking Rs 50 lakh for the families of those who died and Rs 20 lakh for those injured in the accident.
Butola also alleged that there were shortcomings in the tunnel's safety infrastructure. Referring to his visit to the site, he claimed that the air-intake system, or ventilation unit, was not properly connected to ensure adequate airflow into the tunnel.
He further raised concerns over the source of the water that entered the tunnel, claiming that the point from which the water breached the structure had previously been identified as a sensitive zone. According to Butola, adequate safety arrangements had not been made for people working in the area.
The MLA said a similar incident had occurred last year as well, when hundreds of people narrowly escaped, and argued that the recurrence of such an incident raised serious questions about safety measures at the construction site.
Butola said he had raised these concerns with the Chief Minister and sought a magisterial inquiry into the accident. Dhami, according to the MLA, assured him that an inquiry would be conducted and that the injured workers would receive medical treatment.
The magisterial inquiry is expected to examine the circumstances leading to the accident, including the allegations of negligence and shortcomings in safety arrangements, and determine responsibility if any lapses are established.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Good that CM Dhami visited the site personally and ordered an inquiry. But this keeps happening again and again - last year too there was a similar incident. When will we learn that safety standards in construction projects, especially in hilly areas, need to be non-negotiable?
Sad news. 22 workers trapped and 7 dead - it's heartbreaking. The rescue teams did a great job saving 19 people, but we need to question why proper safety measures weren't in place. The ventilation issue and the identified sensitive zone being ignored is concerning. Hope the inquiry brings out the truth.
Every life is precious indeed, but our actions need to reflect that. The compensation amount should be revised and proper safety audits should be made mandatory before any tunnel or infrastructure work starts. These are our workers - they aren't expendable. 😢
Visiting the site and meeting the injured is the right first step by the CM. However, the recurring nature of such incidents in the region suggests systemic issues that need immediate attention. The magisterial inquiry must be thorough and should lead to concrete changes in safety protocols.
The MLA has raised some very valid points about the ventilation system and the sensitive zone. It's tragic that workers from other states come here and face such risks. Hope the government ensures better rescue operations and the injured get proper treatment. Respect to all the rescue workers! 👏
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