Afcons, BRO atal in rescue missions

Educational tours are an adventure that every student looks forward to. And, if they are in the picturesque Lahaul and Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh, it gets even more thrilling.

Last winter, around 45 school children were on an excursion to Lahual. The trip started as scheduled, with the youngsters learning lessons and life skills in equal measure.

However, on reaching Sissu, they were greeted unpleasantly by a heavy snowfall that locked them in the village. Though they were comfortably housed in the PDW guest house, the stranded children, teachers and their families grew increasingly anxious over how they could escape this snow-laden nightmare.

There was no hope in sight, till rescue teams from Afcons and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) stepped in. An access road was created from the village to Atal Tunnel (formerly Rohtang Tunnel) by the teams, pronto. The children and staff were zipped to Manali via the tunnel in no time.

This is one of the many instances when Afcons has rescued people stuck in Lahaul and Spiti during winter months ever since the breakthrough of the tunnel in 2017. In fact, the numbers have been rising with each passing year. In November 2019, alone, Atal Tunnel provided safe passage to as many as 3,118 people and 531 vehiches – the highest in a single month.

The teams are well-equipped to carry out rescue operations right at the start of every winter. “We rescued 2,000 villagers at a time from Lahual and Spiti as part of a major operation last winter. During evacuation/rescue operations, the work inside the tunnel is restricted as a safety measure. During every operation, special escort vehicles with necessary all equipment required for rescue during snowfall,” says Rajeev Sharma, Head-HSE, Atal Tunnel Project, constructed by Strabag-Afcons Joint Venture (SAJV).

Subsequently, between December and February last year, 1,906 people and 350 vehicles were safely transported to Manali through the under-construction tunnel. “The lives of people of Lahual and Spiti have changed magically. Earlier, all they could do during emergency during winter months was depend on helicopter services that could be availed only after permission from the district administration,” adds Sharma.

Since the ancillary works (benching, kicker lining, inner lining, deep invert excavation and lining) on the tunnel are still on, non-project related movements involve risks. However, considering the plight of the locals, the tunnel is opened every year since breakthrough during emergencies. “We ensure there is minimal hindrance to work and we are also able to provide a safe passage to people in desperate situations,” says Project Manager Sunil Tyagi, adding, “We evacuate people who have met with accidents, patients, expectant mothers and the stranded every winter. I am proud of the heroic efforts of the team in ensuring utmost care and safety during every safety operation.”