Thiruvananthapuram: Efforts to rescue a sanitation worker swept away while cleaning the Amayizhanchan canal in Kerala's capital are facing significant challenges. The operation, suspended early on Sunday morning, has resumed after more than 20 hours. A scuba diving team is leading the rescue efforts near the railway station. However, congestion caused by waste accumulation in the tunnel where the worker is trapped has complicated the mission. Some team members have described the operation as burdensome, with no breakthrough yet achieved.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assessed the site, deploying two robots equipped with cameras to inspect the manhole adjacent to the railway line near the canal. These robots are crucial for removing debris and conducting thorough examinations.

The worker remains trapped in a tunnel filled with waste, posing a major obstacle to the rescue operation. Despite attempts by scuba divers to penetrate 30 meters into the tunnel, their efforts were thwarted by darkness and congestion, forcing them to crawl on their knees.

Priority is now on clearing the congested tunnel to facilitate further entry. The exact whereabouts and condition of the trapped worker remain unknown.

Background

The incident occurred on Saturday at around 11 am when Joy, a temporary sanitation worker, was swept away while cleaning the Thampanoor section of the canal. The sudden increase in water flow, due to heavy rainfall, caught Joy and two other workers off guard.

Fire department officials, police, city corporation workers, and even the city mayor are at the scene, working tirelessly even past midnight to clear the canal of accumulated plastic waste. Heavy rains continue to hamper the ongoing rescue efforts.

Joy and his colleagues were hired by a contractor commissioned by the Railways to clean this particular section of the canal. He was swept away while working under a 200-meter-long tunnel that runs beneath the railway tracks at the central station.

Earlier attempts to clear the tunnel's entrance of waste were made to facilitate the entry of scuba divers. However, divers were unable to proceed beyond 40 meters, according to officials.

Rescue efforts are now focused on accessing the tunnel via a manhole inside the Thiruvananthapuram Central railway station, positioned between two platforms.

Local authorities have requested the deployment of the Bandicoot robot, widely used in the state for cleaning drainage lines.

(With inputs from PTI)