Uttarakhand Tunnel Collapse: Adani silences rumours, says not involved in tunnel construction

The Adani Group has clarified on reports linking it to the tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand. A total of 41 workers have been trapped inside a portion of the Silkyara tunnel for the last 16 days. In a statement, the Adani Group said: "It has come to our notice that some elements are making nefarious attempts to link us to the unfortunate collapse of a tunnel in Uttarakhand. We strongly condemn these attempts and those behind them." 

"We clarify with utmost emphasis that the Adani Group or any of its subsidiaries has no direct or indirect involvement of any kind in the tunnel’s construction. We also clarify that we do not own or hold any shares in the company involved in the tunnel’s construction. At this time, our thoughts and prayers are with the trapped workers and their families," a spokesperson for the Adani Group said.

There were speculations circulating on social media and in certain reports suggesting the possible involvement of the Adani Group as a stakeholder in the company responsible for constructing the Uttarakhand tunnel. Former BJP MP Subramanian Swamy raised questions regarding the private company behind the tunnel's construction and its shareholders, explicitly asking if the Adani Group was among them. However, the Adani Group swiftly refuted these claims, stating that none of its subsidiaries has any direct or indirect participation in the construction of the tunnel.

The Navayuga Engineering Company Limited is overseeing the construction of the tunnel, which suffered a partial collapse on November 12, trapping 41 workers. Adani Group clarified that it does not possess any shares or ownership in the company managing the tunnel's construction.

In response to the rescue efforts, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) announced the initiation of manual horizontal digging alongside the ongoing top-down drilling to expedite the rescue of the trapped workers. This decision was made after encountering obstacles with the auger drill, leading to its entanglement in debris. The current focus is on vertical and manual horizontal drilling methods, with additional plans, including horizontal drilling from the Barkot end of the tunnel, actively underway.

• Adani Group
• Char Dham project
• Construction
• Manual horizontal digging
• NDMA
• National Disaster Management Authority
• Navayuga Engineering Company Limited
• Rescue efforts
• Shareholders
• Social media
• Speculations
• Subramanian Swamy
• Top-down drilling
• Trapped workers
• Tunnel collapse
• Uttarakhand tunnel
• Uttarkashi
• Uttarakhand tunnel collapse