Uttarkashi Tunnel Collapse: Opposition raising questions after tunnel accident, demand for investigation before work on projects

Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that the Silkyara tunnel disaster has brought out with complete clarity the sensitivity and complexity of the Western Himalayan ecosystem. There should be a thorough audit of all the projects being implemented in this area. Also, all future projects in the Himalayan region will have to be stopped and brought under professional ecological scrutiny.

Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that it has become necessary to consider some big questions raised by the Silkyara tunnel collapse. The failure of the environmental assessment process has also come to light in the case of planning, design, and implementation of civil construction and other projects in the Himalayan region.

This tunnel was part of the Chardham project

Yashpal Arya said that the tunnel that collapsed in Uttarkashi is part of the Chardham project. The construction works in the project have been allocated in such a way that environmental impact assessment can be completely avoided. There have been reports of no widely accepted safety features at the tunnel.

Why is work not done on disaster management?

Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya, referring to the statement of the former director of the National Disaster Management Institute, Satyendra Singh, said that in any project, 10 percent of the total project cost is kept for disaster management. This tunnel project is worth Rs 1400 crore. There should be Rs 140 crore in disaster head. If so, what was the expenditure on that item?

The government was not prepared for the disaster

Leader of Opposition Yashpal Arya said that preparation at the ground level appeared to be zero. He said that the government had no preparation for the disaster. While there is no pre-disaster mechanism, it can be prepared.

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