From crisis to comeback: the Silkyara collapse

Learning outcomes The learning outcomes are as follows: to understand the contribution of leadership to the projects’ success and identify the key qualities of an effective project manager; understand the significance of project risk and evaluate alternative tools for risk management; to sensitize participants on how the development versus sustainability trade-off must be carefully planned and intermittently audited to create a strategic fit between ecological safety and high-value projects; and to make the participants understand the concept of crisis management and the various steps involved in managing a crisis-like situation. Case overview/synopsis Silkyara tunnel is part of the $1.5bn, 900-km-long Char Dham Highway Project (Four Holy Places Pilgrimage) in Uttarakhand, India. The tunnel was designed to connect four Hindu pilgrim sites in Uttarakhand (known as the land of gods). On 12 November 2023, a group of 41 workers got trapped when the tunnel collapsed. Rescue operations were launched, and several Indian Government and private agencies rushed towards the project site. These included National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited, the Uttarakhand Police, the National Highway Authority of India, engineers from the Indian Army Corps of Engineers, the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force and the Border Roads Organization Authorities from International Rescue Services, headed by Arnold Dix, an Australian underground expert, and a micro-tunnelling expert, Chris Cooper, were called to lend their expertise in the rescue operation. The joint efforts focused on clearing the obstruction of 60 m and creating an exit passage for the trapped workers. After hardcore efforts by multiple stakeholders for several days, the government brought ‘rat-hole’ miners. These miners used manual mining methods for the last few meters to create accessibility for the trapped workers. All 41 workers were successfully rescued on 29 November 2023, and it became a joy-de-vivre moment for their families and all other stakeholders. The rescue mission named Operation Zindagi (which means Operation Life) proved successful, and all workers were safely removed from the disastrous trap, but the incident raised worrisome situations among the minds of stakeholders about safety versus development. Complexity academic level Postgraduate/Executive. Supplementary material Teaching notes are available for educators only. Subject code CSS 9: Operations and Logistics.