SLBC Tunnel: Use machines, robots to avoid fatalities, CM Revanth Reddy

Nagarkurnool: Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has directed officials to investigate the possibility of using humans, machines, and robots in SLBC tunnel rescue operations in order to avoid fatalities.

Revanth Reddy, accompanied by his Cabinet Colleagues N Uttam Kumar Reddy and Jupally Krishna Rao and officials inspected the ongoing rescue operation works at SLBC Tunnel on Sunday. The chief minister convened a review meeting with various department officials and agencies at the campsite.

During the meeting, he stressed three factors to be looked into, which include workers: what their condition is, dead or alive, identifying them and finding out the condition of the machine that is inside in a broken condition and what is behind that. Technical assessment of what must be done to keep the tunnel safe for future works and assess the geology of the place for continuing the work, the chief minister said.

The officials informed Revanth Reddy that eight people--engineers and labourers-have been trapped under the collapsed roof of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel since February 22 and rescue operations are in full swing to pull them out to safety. The trapped persons have been identified as Manoj Kumar (UP), Sri Niwas (UP), Sunny Singh (J&K), Gurpreet Singh (Punjab) and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu and Anuj Sahu, all from Jharkhand.

Asked about the condition of the personnel trapped inside as it has been nine days since the accident, he said he can only speak on the basis of information provided by the rescue officials and it would be premature to make a statement on the matter.

Speaking to the media, Revanth Reddy said that the SLBC tunnel construction began in 2005-06. A 32-kilometer tunnel had been finished by the time Telangana was constituted in 2014. However, the previous BRS government ignored the SLBC for ten years. Due to the company's failure to pay electricity bills, the electrical supply was cut off. The tunnel's construction has been halted for the past decade as a result.

The tunnel, at 44 kms, is the world's longest tunnel and the government would like to complete the project in spite of the setback. The project aims to benefit farmers in a big way in Nalgonda district, he said.

"The state government has taken over the duty of supplying Krishna water to the fluoride-affected Nalgonda area and has resumed work. We've taken steps to bring the spare parts needed for the tunnel boring mission from the US and began the work. However, this unfortunate incident occurred by chance," the chief minister said.

Responding to the criticism by the Opposition parties over the unfortunate incident, the chief minister said that politics should not be involved in accidents; instead, the families who are impacted should be helped. "Where is KCR, Kishan Reddy? Didn't Harish Rao spend two days partying in Dubai? Ask him to present his passport," he said.

"Nobody was permitted to the site of the Srisailam Left Bank power generating accident. I was imprisoned when I attempted to visit as PCC chief. Opposition politicians were denied access to the Devadula and Kaleshwaram projects during the incidents," the chief minister said.

Revanth Reddy also said that as many as 11 central organizations and private entities have been involved in rescue operations at the SLBC Tunnel for the last nine days.

“It is still unclear where the eight missing individuals are. Officials' review revealed that it will take another two to three days to complete this operation. Damage to the conveyor belt inhibited silt removal. It is expected that the conveyor belt will be ready tomorrow evening,” he said.

Though the rat miners carried out digging at the places identified by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) as possible location of humans, it did not reveal any human presence, the chief minister said.

The slush and water emerging inside the tunnel hampered the rescue operation, he said, and added that the conveyor belt would be useful to remove the silt once it is repaired.

Elaborating further, the chief minister said that, following the removal of the soil, the machine must be removed, and the missing ones should be identified.

“Politicizing such an accident is inappropriate. All parties should support the families who have been affected by the tunnel disaster. The government has not lost its courage and hopes to complete the project with more perseverance. We are ready to help the affected families and also directed the officials to use robots along with human machines if necessary to ensure that there is no loss of life in the tunnel work," Revanth Reddy said.