Army's efforts prevent major disaster at Uri power plant

SRINAGAR: Braving extreme difficulty, Army personnel were at the forefront of the operation to douse the flames that threatened to destroy the 240 MW Uri-II hydel power project in Baramulla district of Kashmir.

Fire broke out in the underground power project yesterday morning and, with flames and smoke making entry into the premises almost impossible, it threatened to destroy the project within five months of its inauguration by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The site of the fire incident being inaccessible for direct employment of fire fighting assets such as fire tenders or water bowsers, specialised methods were employed by the teams," an army official said, adding the army teams have been at work for the past 30 hours and most of the blaze has been brought under control.

"Personnel employed to douse the fire have been working tirelessly. The effort was more of technical nature and required specialised skills for which suitable Army officers were brought in from different locations within the Valley," he said. The main challenge was to manage entry into the project as the 900-metre tunnel was totally engulfed by smoke.

"There was a very limited access to the spot of the fire. Except through the tunnel, no alternative passage was available for fire tenders and teams to reach," he said.

"We pressed the officer intensive teams comprising experts in fire fighting and disaster management along with specialised equipment such as three Truck Fire Fighting, 59 respirator masks with oxygen cylinders, generator sets for lighting up the area, six dragon lights, water bowsers and two Sumo-based ambulances," he added.

Alongside this, the civil administration pressed 11 fire tenders, the use of which was coordinated by Army officers supervising the fire fighting operations. The official said the efforts made under extremely risky conditions helped prevent the major disaster and saved critical lives.

"The fire-fighting operation was so efficiently led and managed that there was no loss of human lives or any injury to the employees of the power project or those forming part of the fire fighting teams," he added.