Workers prepare an auger during a rescue operation after a portion of an under-construction tunnel collapsed in Uttarakhand. (Photo: PTI)
Uttarakhand Tunnel Rescue Ops: Daksh can operate continuously for three hours, covering distances ranging from 100 to 500 meters
Rescue officials on Monday drilled a six-inch-wide pipeline through the rubble of the collapsed Silkyara tunnel to help supply larger quantities of solid food and water to all the 41 workers who had been trapped inside for over a week.
To facilitate the rescue operation, the Defence Research Development Organisation deployed the Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Daksh, which is specifically designed to be used on a pan-tilt platform to help reach the risky terrain.
What is ROV ‘Daksh’
According to the DRDO, the Remote Operated Vehicle (ROV) Daksh is a versatile tool designed for various purposes such as in the detection and management of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), survey of nuclear and chemical contamination, as well as handling of hazardous objects.
Daksh can operate continuously for three hours, covering distances ranging from 100 to 500 meters. It also serves in the bomb disposal units (BDU) of the army, police, and paramilitary forces.
Equipped with multiple cameras, Daksh is proficient in climbing stairs and manoeuvring steep slopes, aided by durable rubber wheels designed to withstand blast impacts.
Daksh, along with the MCS, is transported using a specially designed carrier vehicle for deployment and mobility.
Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Rescue Ops Continue
As rescue operations continued for the tenth day, a 57-metre lifeline pipe was penetrated through the tunnel and will be used to send larger quantities of solid food and water to the trapped workers.
The DRDO also sent 2 robots weighing 20 kg and 50 kg inside the tunnel.
National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) director Anshu Manish Khalkho called it the “first breakthrough” at the site.
Rescue operations are being carried out since portions of the tunnel which is part of the Char Dham all-weather road collapsed following a landslide on November 12, leaving 41 workers trapped behind a huge mound of debris.
Source: News18