BHUBANESWAR/BERHAMPUR : A soil cave-in at tunnel no 4 of the ongoing Khurda-Balangir rail project in Boudh district was reported on Monday after the area witnessed continuous rainfall for the last few days. No one was injured in the mishap.
The incident happened in Adenigarh area of Harabhanga block in Boudh. The tunnel measures over 4 km in length and is one of the longest in the state.
Sources said a minor part of soil overburden caved in at the site, causing a pit. The area around the tunnel has since been cordoned off to prevent further mishaps.
The ECoR authorities termed it a minor soil cave-in and clarified it occurred due to loose soil following rain and there has been no impact on manpower or machinery due to the incident. They stated that this will in no way affect the overall progress of the project. “All necessary safety measures are in place, and the project work continues as planned,” an official spokesperson of ECoR said.
Meanwhile, president of Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) Bhakta Charan Das blamed on lack was monitoring and said standard operating procedure (SOP) was not followed. Das said the responsibility should be taken by the railway minister in the case. He said that the Congress will send a fact finding team to the place tomorrow.