Mumbai: 17 days later rescuers yet to find worker trapped in 60-foot-deep trench

The distraught wife of Rakesh Yadav a 40yearold worker who has been trapped along the excavating machine he had been operating in a 60footdeep trench at the Surya water supply project site in Sasunavghar near Versova bridge since May 29 wondered why he was sent to work in the ldquounprotectedrdquo and ldquorainsaturatedrdquo site if the authorities concerned were in no position to pull him outldquoThis is pure hell Why was my husband sent to work in such a situation The authorities have been unable to rescue him for the past 17 days Who had been monitoring the work at the construction site I will not move from here until I see his bonesrdquo said Sushila Yadav whomdash along with her children brother and other relativesmdashboarded a Mumbaibound train from her home town Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh after learning from one of Rakeshrsquos coworkers that his life was in dangerRakesh Yadav the worker who is trapped under tonnes of debris PicsHanif PatelldquoMy husband last spoke to me around 8 pm on May 29 informing that everything fine But at midnight someone informed us about the incident I could not believe it I froze for a while but soon I decided to go to Mumbai This is the first time I have been to the cityrdquo she told middayShe goes to at the site every morning with her two preteen daughters and sevenyearold son Together they spend the entire day there and return to their shelter only around midnight to restChief Minster Eknath Shinde at the spot on FridayldquoEvery day I visit to this site where my husband has been lying trapped under tonnes of debris since May 29 I donrsquot know if he is alive or dead but at least show me his bones and I will accept whatever fate has in store for usrdquo Sushila said in a choked voiceThe projectThe MMRDA has undertaken the 403MLDcapacity Surya Regional Water Supply Scheme to provide water to MiraBhayander and VasaiVirar City Municipal Corporations and rental housing projects of MMRDA including 27 villages within the western subregion of MMR The construction work at the accident site was being undertaken by Larsen amp Toubro LtdThe trench at the Surya water supply project site in SasunavgharA coworker has told Rakeshrsquos relatives that a deep trench was being dug without reinforcing the trench wall and the moment Rakesh entered the trench on the fateful night the ldquowatersoaked unprotected wall collapsed and he got trapped under the debrisrdquoSantosh Yadav Sushilarsquos brother said ldquoI have been told that muck collapsed into the trench even the container on which senior workers were monitoring the construction work at night collapsed But these people were rescuedrdquoA joint rescue operation was initiated by NDRF local police and municipal corporation personnel ldquoBut it was halted on June 9 after it started rainingrdquo said SantoshldquoAfter the rescue operation was stopped we met Yadav community leaders in Mumbai and demanded to meet Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde But the CM preferred to meet us at the accident site on June 14 The moment authorities concerned learnt that Shinde was arriving they restarted the rescue operation and the area was cleanedrdquo Santosh addedShinde who was busy with the Lok Sabha election campaign results and swearingin ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan finally arrived at the accident site on the 17th day of the tragedy He promised that defence personnel would be deployed to pull out Rakesh from the debrisWifersquos lamentldquoToday advanced equipment is available so why is the government unable to rescue my husband What are they waiting for The children have been asking me lsquoWhere is paparsquo What should I tell themrdquo sobbed SushilaSushila met her husband last in August 2023 when he left his native place for Mumbai to workGovind Bodake the Palghar district collector said that the family will be financially compensated by LampT Ltd ldquoThe rescue operation was jointly conducted by the NDRF and contractor of LampT Ltd But after rainfall it was put to a halt After making the structure stable the operation has been restarted Now the Indian Army and Indian Navy have been called to assist in the rescue operationrdquo Bodake saidNo legal action has been taken by the police till now An officer at Mira Bhayandar Vasai Virar MBVV police said ldquoWe have not received any complaint as of now Also our team has been closely monitoring developments at the accident siterdquo