Palghar soil cave-in: NDRF-MES continue search for man, excavator buried at site

CM Shinde at the site on Friday. Pic/CMO

The search operation in Maharashtra's Palghar district is still ongoing after an excavator and its operator were buried in a tunnel collapse on May 29. The event occurred near the Versova bridge as part of the Surya project, which intends to provide drinking water to the ever-growing Mira Bhayander neighbourhood.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Military Engineering Services (MES) are in charge of the operation, with assistance from the local fire department. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has examined the site and urged state-run MMRDA and the project's contractor, L&T, to step up search and rescue efforts, reported PTI.

"The operation is being helmed by the NDRF and MES. The local fire brigade is also involved. Chief Minister Eknath Shinde had inspected the site and directed state-run MMRDA and L&T, which is the contractor building the project, to escalate search and rescue efforts," said Disaster Management Cell chief Vivekanand Kadam.

He further told PTI, "Currently, the focus is to reinforce the structure's corners and walls to facilitate removal of debris from the shaft. Concrete breaking operations inside the shaft have commenced to expedite access to the trapped individual."

Collector Govind Bodke is constantly monitoring the situation, according to a district administration announcement.

According to the PTI, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced on Friday that the Indian Army, Navy, and Coast Guard had joined the attempts to rescue the excavator operator, who is still trapped with the equipment following a cave-in at a water project in Palghar district of Maharashtra 17 days ago.

On the night of May 29, an excavator operator was trapped when the soil and wall construction collapsed while working on a tunnel shaft at the Surya water supply project site in Sasun Navghar village, around 50 km from Mumbai.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and other rescue teams have been working on the scene, but neither the guy nor the machine have been located, according to the PTI.

CM Shinde was accompanied by MMRDA Commissioner Dr. Sanjay Mukherjee and Palghar Collector Govind Bodke. He went to the scene on Friday to assess the rescue efforts.

Speaking with reporters, CM Shinde stated, "Excavator operator Rakesh Yadav was engaged in an accident while working on the Surya pipeline project. Despite lengthy rescue operations by local teams and the NDRF, he remains stuck. The Indian Army, Navy, and Coast Guard have joined the hunt. We are fully committed to his rescue.

The Maharashtra Chief Minister provided a Rs 50 lakh consolation package for Yadav's family in the event of his death and promised a job to a member.

CM Shinde added that due to the complexities of the scenario, professors from the Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute (VJTI) will oversee the rescue. The specialists will also conduct a thorough investigation to determine the reason of the tragedy and prevent it from happening again, CM Shinde said, according to the news agency.

Earlier, Palghar district disaster cell chairman Vivekanand Kadam told the PTI that the NDRF's presence at the Palghar soil cave-in site is crucial for guidance and future progress once the concrete walls have been cracked and dismantled. He had earlier reported that the rescuers had excavated holes in the underground shaft and were using cameras to locate the trapped operator. The rescue personnel are moving carefully to avoid future cave-ins, noted the PTI report.