<p>New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the rat-hole mining experts from the city who took part in an operation to rescue 41 labourers trapped in an under-construction road tunnel in Uttarakhand and thanked them on behalf of the people of the country.</p>.<p>The construction workers were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a portion of it collapsed following a landslide on November 12. They were rescued on Tuesday after almost 17 days of a multi-agency operation.</p>.<p>The team of experts in the rat-hole-mining technique has been associated with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for doing manual excavation for years. They used machines and manpower to lay down a pipe through boring to rescue the labourers trapped in the tunnel.</p>.<p>'The entire team was felicitated by the chief minister,' said Delhi Water Minister Atishi, who was present on the occasion.</p>.<p>The team members explained how they worked non-stop for three days, without even sleeping, during the rescue operation, Atishi said.</p>.<p>'Kejriwal thanked them on behalf of the people of the country and Delhi and told them how proud everyone is of them,' she told reporters.</p>.<p>The 12-member team was called to do the drilling after an American auger machine came across hurdles while clearing the rubble inside the tunnel.</p>.<p>According to officials, some of these 12 men are involved in laying sewer lines and pipelines for the DJB.</p>.<p>They returned from Uttarakhand on Thursday.</p>.<p>Rat-hole mining involves digging narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter a mine and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed 'rat holes' as they just about fit one person.</p>.<p>At the Silkyara tunnel, the 12 experts were called by Trenchless Engineering Services Private Limited and Navayuga Engineers Private Limited to deploy the rat-hole-mining technique horizontally in the collapsed part of the main structure.</p>.<p>A DJB contractor said the opportunity and good fortune to serve the nation was incredible.</p>.<p>'We immediately took up the work and our team worked tirelessly to rescue the trapped labourers. Like us, many other agencies were working unitedly in the rescue operation,' he added.</p>.<p>One of the rat-hole mining experts said the team is used to working for long hours in emergency situations and it rested only after finishing the task at hand.</p>
<p>New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the rat-hole mining experts from the city who took part in an operation to rescue 41 labourers trapped in an under-construction road tunnel in Uttarakhand and thanked them on behalf of the people of the country.</p>.<p>The construction workers were trapped inside the Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi district after a portion of it collapsed following a landslide on November 12. They were rescued on Tuesday after almost 17 days of a multi-agency operation.</p>.<p>The team of experts in the rat-hole-mining technique has been associated with the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) for doing manual excavation for years. They used machines and manpower to lay down a pipe through boring to rescue the labourers trapped in the tunnel.</p>.<p>'The entire team was felicitated by the chief minister,' said Delhi Water Minister Atishi, who was present on the occasion.</p>.<p>The team members explained how they worked non-stop for three days, without even sleeping, during the rescue operation, Atishi said.</p>.<p>'Kejriwal thanked them on behalf of the people of the country and Delhi and told them how proud everyone is of them,' she told reporters.</p>.<p>The 12-member team was called to do the drilling after an American auger machine came across hurdles while clearing the rubble inside the tunnel.</p>.<p>According to officials, some of these 12 men are involved in laying sewer lines and pipelines for the DJB.</p>.<p>They returned from Uttarakhand on Thursday.</p>.<p>Rat-hole mining involves digging narrow tunnels, usually three-four feet high, for workers to enter a mine and extract coal. The horizontal tunnels are often termed 'rat holes' as they just about fit one person.</p>.<p>At the Silkyara tunnel, the 12 experts were called by Trenchless Engineering Services Private Limited and Navayuga Engineers Private Limited to deploy the rat-hole-mining technique horizontally in the collapsed part of the main structure.</p>.<p>A DJB contractor said the opportunity and good fortune to serve the nation was incredible.</p>.<p>'We immediately took up the work and our team worked tirelessly to rescue the trapped labourers. Like us, many other agencies were working unitedly in the rescue operation,' he added.</p>.<p>One of the rat-hole mining experts said the team is used to working for long hours in emergency situations and it rested only after finishing the task at hand.</p>