HYDERABAD
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy will launch a helicopter-borne ‘VTEM Plus Magnetic Geophysical Survey’ on November 3 (Monday) to help assess any shear zones or water bodies in the balance alignment of the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project (AMRP).
The Telangana government decided to use this advanced engineering methodology to speed up the tunnel work after the collapse of Tunnel 1, part of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) under AMRP, on 22 February, resulting in the death of eight people and flooding of the 2.5 km tunnel, burying the 130-metre long Muck Tunnel (TBMBM).
Several tunnel experts have also recommended a helicopter survey to be conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI).
According to irrigation officials, the survey involves flying a helicopter with a special suspended transmitter (a loop 24 meters in diameter) over a tunnel that sends electromagnetic signals into the ground to create eddies that are then reflected and registered on a smaller receiver loop, covering more than 200 km. This survey will allow appropriate modification of the excavation methodology to ensure a safe and sustainable procedure.
Published – 02 Nov 2025 21:02 IST
