An instance of land subsidence triggered debris and water to flood the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project tunnel in Chamoli, Uttarakhand, on August 13, trapping 22 workers.
Nineteen have been rescued, while three remain missing and seven are confirmed dead.
Multiple agencies are conducting search and rescue amid uncertainty over the exact number of workers and questions over ignored geological warnings.
On the evening of August 13, around 7:45 PM, debris and water flooded the tunnel of the Vishnugad-Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district due to land subsidence. A total of 22 workers were reported trapped in the tunnel. Following an overnight relief and rescue operation, 19 have been brought out, while the search for three others continues. Seven deaths have been reported in this incident so far.
District Disaster Management Officer Nand Kishore Joshi has confirmed the development.
The local police, district administration, CISF, NDRF, SDRF, Army, and ITBP, along with a medical team, reached the site. Search and rescue operations using specialised equipment are underway inside the tunnel.
However, even 15 hours after the incident, the exact number of workers remains unknown.
According to information from the State Emergency Operations Centre, the figures for the injured and deceased may fluctuate, as search and rescue operations are ongoing.
The injured are undergoing treatment at the Gopeshwar District Hospital. The Base Hospital in Srinagar and AIIMS Rishikesh have been placed on alert.
The workers engaged in the tunnel project hail from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Uttar Pradesh. Among the seven deceased, two were from Uttarakhand, three from Uttar Pradesh, and two from Chhattisgarh; meanwhile, of the three missing persons, two are from Chhattisgarh and one is from Jharkhand.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has spoken over the phone with the Chief Ministers of the concerned states to convey information to the families of the affected workers. Additionally, he has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the causes of the tunnel accident.
Dhami arrived at the site on August 14 morning and took stock of the rescue operations. Subsequently, he inquired about the health and treatment of the injured workers at Gopeshwar Hospital. He stated that all available resources are being utilised.
The tunnel of this THDC hydroelectric project, currently under construction on the Alaknanda river at Pipalkoti, is approximately three kilometres (km) long. Following land subsidence, debris and water entered a section spanning about 1.50 km.
This 444-megawatt project on the Alaknanda river received environmental clearance in 2007.
The project includes a main tunnel approximately 13 km long, as well as a tail-race tunnel spanning about 3 km.
The EIA report acknowledges that the rock formations here are geologically challenging. According to a technical study, a large section of the tunnel passes through slate and dolomitic limestone rock. Several sections of the tunnel route characterised by weak rock, as well as areas prone to fissures and rock slippage, have been identified. The study also highlights groundwater seepage in these locations as a challenge for tunnel construction.
During construction, this tunnel also faced issues with rock collapses and water seepage.
Speaking to Down To Earth, geologist Naveen Juyal raised a question: “It was already known that the rocks in the vicinity of the Vishnugad Pipalkoti area are weak. This was also mentioned in the Environmental Impact Assessment report prepared in 2009.”
“The report emphasised the need to exercise due caution while excavating the tunnel. There are several waterfalls along the stretch extending from the Maina river—which joins the Alaknanda about five km upstream of the accident site—to the tail-race tunnel. Therefore, special caution was required during the tunnel construction. Furthermore, fault lines and weak zones had been identified in the stretch extending from the barrage near Helang to the tail-race tunnel outlet near the confluence of the Birhi Ganga and Alaknanda rivers. In light of all this, it is evident that necessary safety measures were not implemented,” he added.
Social activist Atul Sati, who has long raised concerns regarding hydroelectric projects and tunnel construction in the Himalayan region, reacted sharply to this incident. According to him, “Despite repeated accidents, we fail to learn any lessons. Several such tunnel accidents have occurred in the state in the past as well.” The Silkyara tunnel accident occurred in 2023. During the 2021 disaster, workers were also trapped in the tunnels of the Rishiganga and Tapovan Vishnugad hydroelectric projects. An accident involving a railway tunnel in Rishikesh has also occurred recently.
Based on information from eyewitnesses, Sati stated that debris and water fell from the tunnel’s roof following a loud blast, filling the tunnel. He maintained that there should be a register to track the entry and exit of the workers employed in the tunnel. “However, the district administration keeps citing varying figures regarding the number of workers. When we do not even know for certain how many workers were inside, how can the rescue operation be carried out effectively?”
Photos and videos released after the accident show that a large amount of water had accumulated inside the tunnel. Rescue workers can be seen searching for the trapped workers using makeshift boats.