The rescue operation is found to find workers trapped inside the partially packed tunnel of the SRISAILAM LEFT Bank Canal (SLBC) in Nagarnoool in Telangana. | Photo Credit: PTI
Hyderabad
The irrigation department plans to continue working first at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) channel tunnel, which was stopped 22 February after the tunnel collapse, about 14 km inside the mouth, near the Domaralpent, in the Nagarnuool district alive. Another 10 km of the tunnel is to be dug to fulfill the work from the other side.
This was decided at a meeting held here on Saturday, Minister of irrigation and civil supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for a deep overview of waiting work. Work on the tunnel 43.931 km was taken from two sides – from the side of the Srisailam reservoir near the Domhapent AZ Dindi balancing the tank on the other side.
The work was stopped in 2023 after a problem in the tunnel boring machine (TBM) by Dindi Reservoir. He was stopped on the side of the domaralapists much earlier, again because of some problems in TBM. He was restored on February 22 after replacing some parts of the TBM at the end of the Domaralpent, but within four days there was an incident of the roof collapse.
Only two of the 8 bodies were obtained before the rescue operation was abandoned at the end of April, based on the Council of Experts on the Hazard of Removal of Trosky in the last 50 meters of the tunnel dug by the Domhapent.
The Minister stated that drilling and blasting (excavations) should have been accepted at an estimated length of 10 km to complete the tunnel. He stated that with its completion, which marked Lifeline SLBC for the southern parts of Telangana, it must be considered the highest priority and performed by urgency.
He explained that the SLBC tunnel would be accepted/renewed using the latest electromagnetic survey technology in cooperation with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and Geological Survey of India (GSI). In order to ensure precise planning and trouble -free execution, he ordered officials to speed up (air) survey Lidar.
At the beginning of the day he had a meeting with a team of scientists NGRi to complete the technical ways of exploration. He reiterated that the costs would not be limited, but the highest quality and speed must be maintained at all levels.
The meeting also meant the first formal interaction with col. Parikshit Mehra, a recognized tunnel engineering expert, who recently joined the irrigation department for deputies. The Minister has expressed the confidence that Colonel Mehra’s expertise will help to solve long -waiting technical challenges and rapid completion of SLBC and other key tunnel projects.
He said that gene. Harpal Singh, a former Indian army chief engineer, will also soon be appointed an honorary advisor to the irrigation department to strengthen the technical capacity of the ministry and the tunnel.
The Minister also reviewed the progress of De-Sklon and De-Sedimentation in the Krishna and Godavari basins, which he said was necessary to increase/restore storage capacity and improve the economy. He pointed out that the capacity of water storage of several irrigation projects was drastically decreased due to sedimentation and accumulation of mud.
Published – July 19, 2025 20:32
