PM’s Intervention ​Sought in Uttarakhand;’s Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Tunnel Accident; ​Anoop Nautiyal Demands ​One Crore Compensation​ instead of Five Lakhs from THDC, Independent Inquiry & Himalayan Tunnel Safety Framework

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Dehradun: Social worker Anoop Nautiyal has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking ​his intervention following the August 13, 2026​ incident inside an under-construction tunnel of the THDC Vishnugad–Pipalkoti Hydroelectric Project in Chamoli, Uttarakhand. He has sought an independent, time-bound expert inquiry into the accident, enhancement of compensation for the families of deceased workers from the announced ​Rs. 5 lakh to a minimum of ​Rs. 1 crore​ from THDC and stronger support for affected families.

In his representation, ​he said the August 13, 2026 incident needs to be examined in the context of repeated serious incidents at the project site. A flash flood in July 2024 reportedly damaged the project’s batching plant, machinery and associated infrastructure, while a landslide at the dam site in August 2025 injured 12 workers, including four seriously. On December 30, 2025 two loco trains operating inside the project tunnel collided during construction operations, with official reports subsequently placing the number of injured at 88.

The representation primarily raises the issue of inadequate compensation. While THDC reportedly announced ​Rs 5 lakh as ex-gratia assistance for each deceased worker’s family, ​Anoop Nautiyal has demanded that this be enhanced to ​a minimum of Rs. 1 crore, in addition to statutory compensation, insurance, pending wages, employment-related dues and other lawful entitlements. He also sought proportionate enhancement of assistance for injured workers and suitable employment opportunities for at least one eligible member of each affected family, wherever possible.

The representation further stresses that the responsibility of the principal contractor should not be diluted through contractual or subcontracting arrangements. Since civil works, including major tunnel components, were awarded to Hindustan Construction Company under the EPC arrangement, the contractor should ensure all applicable employer-side compensation, insurance, statutory benefits and rehabilitation assistance for affected workers.

​The representation has called for an independent inquiry involving experts in tunnelling, Himalayan geology and disaster management. The inquiry should establish the immediate and underlying causes of the accident, examine whether the tragedy could reasonably have been prevented, assess whether workers’ reported concerns were acted upon and fix accountability wherever identifiable lapses or non-compliance are established.
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The representation emphasises that the issue extends beyond one project or one accident in the Indian Himalayan Region. The ​recent July 20​, 2026 tunnel disaster at the under-construction Teesta Stage-VI Hydroelectric Project in Sikkim, in which 25 people were reportedly killed, and the November 2023 Silkyara–Barkot tunnel incident in Uttarakhand, where 41 workers remained trapped underground for 17 days, demonstrate the distinctive geological and operational risks associated with major underground infrastructure in the Himalayas.

Over the years, Anoop ​Nautiyal has repeatedly raised concerns about how development is planned and executed in the Himalayan region, particularly the need to recognise ecological and geological limits, strengthen disaster preparedness and ensure greater institutional accountability. Through the Making Molehills of Mountains series and other evidence based documentation, he has consistently advocated a development approach that stresses due process, with greater emphasis on scientific assessment, transparency, prevention and community safety.

​He ​concluded that the objective must be to move from a system that responds after disasters through rescue and compensation to one that prioritises prevention, learning and accountability. He urged the Prime Minister’s Office to consider the immediate demands relating to the Vishnugad–Pipalkoti accident while initiating a broader national framework for safer tunnel infrastructure in the Indian Himalayan Region.