WATCH: Cooks Prepare Breakfast For 40 Trapped Workers In Uttarakhand Tunnel

After the 6-inch pipe was installed to deliver larger food quantities, the kitchen was busy preparing breakfast to send to the trapped labourers in Uttarkashi on Tuesday morning.

The kitchen, set up for the 40 trapped workers, was busy with breakfast preparations on Tuesday morning. This followed the installation of an alternative six-inch lifeline pipe designed to deliver larger food quantities. So far, a four-inch existing tube had been used to supply oxygen, dry fruits, and medicines to the section of the tunnel beyond the debris from the collapsed portion along the under-construction Char Dham route in Uttarakhand.

The cook, Dinesh, was making 'khichdi' with chana dal and potatoes, He mentioned that it would be dispatched to the trapped workers after they receive an order. Additionally, fruits will be included with the dish.

Talking about the prepared food items, Dinesh told ANI that 'Aloo-Chana Dal' has been prepared, and 'Khichdi' and 'Daliya' are also among the options that will be sent as per the instructions given to them. He also said that they will also be making 'Puri' later on.

On Monday, the newly installed lifeline pipe, stretching 2 km into the collapsed structure, offers a means to send essential items like food, mobiles, and chargers to those trapped inside.

Colonel Deepak Patil, in charge of the rescue operation, stated, "We are bringing plastic cylindrical bottles with wide mouths so that we can send bananas, apples, Khichdi, and Daliya," as quoted by ANI.

“Our first achievement, a significant one. The next step is more vital and important – that’s to get them out intact and happy,” Col. Patil told PTI. The collapse in the under-construction tunnel occurred on November 12, trapping the workers in a 60-meter stretch on the Silkyara side.

The pipeline development coincides with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to assess the rescue operation. According to a statement, the PM emphasized the need to maintain the morale of the trapped workers.

On November 12, it was reported that a collapse occurred in an under-construction tunnel from Silkyara to Barkot due to a muck falling in the 60-metre stretch on the Silkyara side of the tunnel, trapping 41 labourers. As per the government, the labourers are trapped in the 2 km-built tunnel portion, which is complete including concrete work that provides safety to the workers.

Rescue workers will soon resume horizontal boring through the debris will be recommenced soon. The first machine for constructing a vertical rescue shaft – possibly around 80 meters deep – by drilling from near the hilltop has also reached the tunnel. A road to the hilltop has been constructed, and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is arranging for more equipment. Work has also commenced on drilling from the other side, the Barkot-end, of the tunnel, it said.