Champawat (Uttarakhand) [India], November 26 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami has said that the Tanakpur bus stand in Champawat will be built according to international standards.

"The Tanakpur bus stand will be constructed according to international standards. The first phase involves an investment of Rs 56 crore. Tanakpur attracts visitors from across the country. After Haridwar, Tanakpur is the second-highest place that attracts tourists in Uttarakhand. In the second phase, we will build a shopping complex, parking, and entertainment facilities. This bus stand should serve as a role model for our state," said Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at Tanakpur.

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Earlier in the day, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami met with the family of Pushkar Singh Airi, a worker from Tanakpur who has been trapped in the Silkyara tunnel for the last 15 days.

The efforts to rescue the 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel on the Uttarkashi-Yamnotri road are still underway.

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He said that manual drilling would begin after the auger machine was cut and brought out.

"The plasma machine that has been brought from Hyderabad has started working since this morning. The cutting is going on rapidly. 14 metres more remain (to be cut)," he said.

"The auger machine has to be cut and brought out. It seems that it will be completed soon, within a few more hours. After that, manual drilling will begin," CM Dhami added.

A plasma cutter machine was flown from Hyderabad to cut the auger machine early this morning.

Also, the Indian Air Force earlier today said that it flew in 'critical DRDO equipment' to Dehradun to accelerate the ongoing rescue operation.

A protection umbrella is being laid inside the Silkyara tunnel to put up protection for the rescue team, official sources said.

Apart from that, as part of efforts to provide assurance to 41 workers trapped in the Silkyara tunnel and relieve their stress, Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) stepped in to provide them with a landline through which they can talk to their families.(ANI)

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