Rat-hole Miner Behind Uttarkashi Tunnel Rescue Op Vows Hunger Strike as DDA Demolishes His Home

During a demolition carried out by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) on Wednesday, the house of a rat-hole miner, who played a vital role in saving 41 trapped workers in Silkyara tunnel in Uttarakhand last year, was also torn down.

Wakeel Hassan, the rat-hole miner, had his house in Delhi’s Khajoori Khas demolished along with several others during the DDA’s action. Hassan was reportedly taken into police custody at the time of the demolition.

Hassan, residing in the house since 2013, asserted that the DDA did not provide any advance notice before demolishing his residence. Legal complications against the construction were initiated by the authorities back in 2016.

“I will stay put here with my family till I am relocated, now that my family is without a roof over their head,” Hassan told Firstpost.

Hassan emphasised his determination to stand up for his family, drawing parallels between his commitment to their cause and his efforts in saving the lives of trapped miners, where he risked his own life. He stated that he plans to stage a hunger strike, along with his family, on the debris of his house until justice is achieved.

Hassan, along with five other members of the rat-hole mining team, resides in Khajoori Khas in north-east Delhi, while the remaining members hail from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

Wakeel Hassan led the 12-member team of ‘rat-hole’ miners from Rockwell Enterprises in the Uttarkashi rescue mission. Their expertise in special mining techniques played a crucial role in the rescue operation at the Silkyara tunnel, where 41 workers were trapped for approximately 17 days after a tunnel collapse.

In response to a query regarding the demolition drive, the Delhi Development Authority stated that it was conducted to ‘remove encroachments’ from area.

“On February 28, a demolition drive was conducted by the DDA to remove encroachment from its acquired land in village Khajoori Khas. The land was part of planned development land,” DDA said in a statement.

The DDA mentioned that the demolition drive took place on land designated as “part of planned development land.” Police also said that numerous illegally constructed structures were demolished in the course of the operation.