Advertisement
In a surprising turn of events, Vakeel Hasan, a key figure in the Uttarakhand tunnel rescue operation, faced the demolition of his house in Delhi during a recent drive by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to clear illegal encroachments. Hasan, a rat-hole miner who played a crucial role in saving 41 lives in the Silkyara tunnel, expressed his disappointment, stating, “The reward we got for saving 41 from Uttarakhand’s Silkyara tunnel was that our house had been demolished.”
Demolition of ‘Illegal’ House in Delhi. The DDA defended the demolition, asserting that it was part of a broader initiative to clear illegal encroachments in the Khajuri Khas area of northeast Delhi. However, Hasan and other residents claim that they were not given any prior notice. Hasan, now facing legal consequences, said, “They have caught me, and my children, and are keeping us in a police station. They have also beaten some of us.”
Munna Qureshi, another miner involved in the rescue operation, expressed similar sentiments, stating, “The government had assured us that they would give us the privilege of sitting at home, but they have snatched our team member’s home.”
Contradicting these claims, DDA officials maintained that prior information had been provided to all residents, emphasizing the planned development on the designated land.
Demolition of ‘Illegal’ House in Delhi. The Silkyara-Barkot tunnel rescue operation gained recognition for its use of rat-hole mining, a practice banned for safety reasons. Vakeel Khan and Munna Qureshi, both rat-hole miners, stepped in when high-tech machines failed during the operation in November 2023. Despite the accolades for their heroic efforts, the recent demolition adds a challenging twist to the lives of these rescue heroes, who had been celebrated for successfully bringing out workers trapped in the tunnel after 17 days.
