New Delhi:The Central government has formed a three-member Expert Committee to probe the tunnel collapse incident at Khooni Nallah in Ramban district on the Jammu Srinagar highway on May 19 that killed 10 workers. The members of the Expert Committee have already moved to the site to investigate the reasons for the slide and collapse. They will not only probe the cause of the collapse, but will also suggest measures to avoid such disasters in future.
Officials said any further action will be taken on the basis of the expert panel’s report. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has already initiated a process to handle such emergency situations and also taking all possible measures to avoid such mishaps in future, they said. Officials said it was yet to be determined whether the occurrence of the incident is due to work being executed or due to natural reasons.
Jammu Tunnel Collapse
According to officials, the stretch between Digdole and Khooni Nallah of Ramban Banihal section is prone to frequent landslides and shooting stones due to the fragile geology of the region. However, given the strategic importance of maintaining an all-weather connectivity to Srinagar, authorities proposed three packages of tunnels and viaducts on Ramban Banihal section. These packages were decided given the challenges posed by the hill slopes and existing alignment. Officials said after assessing the challenges in ensuring stability of hill slopes on existing alignment, the work from Digdole to Panthyal on the Jammu Srinagar Highway was awarded to Ceigall India Limited and Patel Engineering Limited, a joint venture. The construction work on this stretch started in February this year.
Read:Bodies of all 10 trapped workers recovered from collapsed tunnel