Mud, slush accumulate in Uttarkashi tunnel due to seepage, raise safety concerns
Water seepage in Uttarakhand’s Tambakhani tunnel has caused mud and slush to accumulate, making passage risky for residents and Gangotri pilgrims.
Seepage from the left side of the 370-meter-long Tambakhani tunnel near Uttarkashi has resulted in water, mud and slush collecting on the tunnel's pedestrian walkway. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has been handling the tunnel's management since it was transferred from the irrigation department over five months ago. The BRO is seeking the expertise of a specialized technical agency to conduct a thorough hydrological and engineering study of the subterranean seepage.
This study will inform the development of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) and set the stage for permanent structural repairs to the tunnel. The tunnel, which was built in 2013 at an estimated cost of ₹19 crore, has a history of water seepage issues, particularly during the monsoon season. Dharmendra Singh, a local resident, highlighted that this is the third occurrence of severe water seepage in the last four years.
The tunnel serves as a critical gateway to the Gangotri shrine from Uttarkashi, raising serious safety concerns if the issue is not addressed. The BRO Commander Raj Kishore has forwarded a proposal for a comprehensive rehabilitation of the tunnel to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, with the selection of a construction agency through a competitive bidding process underway.
A separate technical team has been tasked with conducting a detailed hydrological and engineering assessment of the seepage, after which permanent repairs will be implemented as per the recommendations of the study.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
