The team of experts working to locate the eight workers who have been buried beneath the rubble of the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel since February 22 has been given a two-day deadline by the Telangana government, starting Wednesday evening. Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy stated, “We have not lost hope and are working in the belief that they (the workers) are still alive,” despite the state deploying a number of specialized forces to conduct rescue operations, including the Indian Army, Marine Commando Force, Indian Navy special forces, Border Roads Organization (BRO), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and rat miners.
Officials from disaster management and tunnel specialists examined the tunnel on Wednesday afternoon. Along with NDRF staff, the team comprised BRO tunnel specialist Col. Parikshit Mehra, BRO former DG Gen. Harpal Singh, and BRO former ADG KP Purushothaman. According to Uttam, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) that broke down during the mishap will be disassembled and taken out of the tunnel using gas cutters and welding equipment. A small Bobcat machine and manual labor will be used to remove the accumulated fine silt.
Starting at the far end of the tunnel, silt removal will move closer to the entrance. According to Uttam at Domalapenta, which is close to the tunnel site, two 100 HP pumps will also be used to manage the silt and dewater the tunnel. To speed up the rescue effort, the government is also looking into alternate access points. This includes a plan to drill a bypass approximately 300 meters from the TBM area in order to get to the stranded workers. According to officials, this detour would make it easier to transport personnel and equipment to the tunnel’s collapsed section, where the roof gave way and the TBM parts are currently stuck.
Uttam emphasized that the government’s top priority was the safety of the rescuers, even though he acknowledged that the amount of slush inside the tunnel had slowed down rescue efforts. “We carefully evaluated the situation and developed well-defined plans to reduce the danger to the rescuers and proceed effectively,” he stated. Advanced imaging systems are in place to evaluate the structural stability of the tunnel, and conditions are being monitored in real time. This guarantees that rescue crews can carry on working without endangering their own or the stranded workers’ safety. In order to discuss practical ways to speed up the rescue effort, ministers Uttam and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy met with senior officials earlier in the day. These officials included Col Mehra, Navy officer VK Prasad, NDRF DIG Mohsen Shahedi, rat miners, and BRO representatives.
