Union Minister Nitin Gadkari conferred the Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak on 12 rat miners for their bravery during the Uttarakhand Silkyara Tunnel rescue operation. In addition to the medallion, each awardee also received ₹2 lakh. In November 2023, the miners manually dug through debris to rescue 41 labourers trapped for 17 days after a section of the under-construction tunnel collapsed.