Recently, the Uttarakhand High Court addressed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking prompt evacuation of the laborers stranded within the tunnel in Silkyara, Uttarkashi.

Taking the matter seriously, the division bench of Acting Chief Justice Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari and Justice Pankaj Purohit has asked the state government to submit its reply within 48 hours. The next hearing of the case has been fixed for November 22.

The court has also issued notice to the Ministry of Disaster Management, Secretary Public Works Department, Central Government, National Highway Authority and asked them to submit their reply.

Samadhan NGO Krishna Vihar Dehradun has filed a PIL saying that 41 workers are trapped inside the tunnel in Silkyara Tunnel of Uttarkashi since last November 12, but the government has failed to take them out till now.

''The government and the executive body are playing with the lives of the people trapped in the tunnel. Every day new solutions are being invented to get rid of them. The people because of whom the lives of these laborers are in danger. A criminal case should be registered against them.''

The call for a thorough investigation by the SIT encompasses several concerns raised in a PIL. Prior to commencing work within the tunnel, there's a demand to ensure the provision of crucial equipment such as rescue pipes, generators, and machinery for the workers' safety. Additionally, the insufficient geological examination during the tunnel's construction has jeopardized the lives of these workers.