Nagarkurnool (Telangana), Feb 26: After being trapped for over four days following partial collapse of SLBC tunnel, the fate of the eight individuals remains unknown, even as Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday expressed hope that the rescue operation will be completed in two days with increased pace of action.
Irrigation Minister Reddy in a press conference said it has been decided that the rescuers will go into the silt in the tunnel in search of the trapped men while acknowledging that the rescue operation was slowed down on Tuesday keeping in view the safety of the lives of the rescuers.
“The whole operation has been reviewed with all the officials, including from NDRF, Army, SDRF, District Collector, and superintendent of police…we have made a concrete plan of action today that we will go ahead into the silt (in the tunnel). Now we are hoping that we can complete the whole operation in two days. We have decided a plan of action and decided a timeframe, and now we will go forward,” he said.
Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that alternate access routes to reach the Tunnel Boring Machine which was stuck in the muck are also being explored to mitigate risk and improve the speed of the rescue mission.
“One of the biggest challenges in the rescue effort has been the massive accumulation of muddy water obstructing access to the TBM. To tackle this, the state government has intensified dewatering operations using advanced machinery, ensuring water removal progresses rapidly,” he said.
He further emphasised that real-time monitoring of tunnel conditions was being carried out using advanced imaging systems. Experts were continuously assessing the structural stability of the tunnel, ensuring that rescue teams could proceed safely without any risks to either the trapped workers or the responders.
The TBM that is struck inside will be cut into pieces by using gas cutters and removed. After this, the Army, Navy, Rat Miners and NDRF teams will make another serious effort to rescue the eight persons who are missing, without compromising their own safety, the minister explained.
Reddy said the state government has roped in the best experts who have experience in building tunnels at border areas, retired army officials and people who participated in the rescue operations wherever tunnel accidents happened and sought their opinion.
The minister also said the Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) have been brought in for the rescue operations
“We have not completely given up our hopes. We are going forward with our work with an intention to save them and bring them out,” he replied when asked if he still has hopes that the trapped individuals are alive.
Eight personnel working on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project were trapped after a portion of the tunnel collapsed on February 22.
District Collector B Santhosh said as sludge started solidifying inside the SLBC tunnel, rescuers are planning to use sniffer dogs to locate those trapped,
“So we have a sniffer dog. We will take it. So with the dog’s help, we will try to locate (the trapped),” the official told PTI, adding that the priority is to locate the individuals.
According to the collector, the team which reached the exact accident site last night tried to communicate with the trapped persons but there was no response
Earlier during the day, Nagarkurnool Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad said a 20-member team comprising NDRF, SDRF and Rat Miners were able to reach the last points of the (tunnel).
The teams earlier were able to reach up to 50 meters before the end of the tunnel only due to muck and debris.
Meanwhile, Jaiprakash Gaur, Founder Chairman of Jaypee Group, the contracting firm of Srisailam Left Bank Canal project reacted to the incident saying accidents may happen during difficult works.
Jaiprakash Associates Ltd, the flagship company of Jaypee Group, was awarded the tunnel boring of SLBC.
“In these difficult works, such things happen. In my life, I think there might be six or seven accidents, the Tehri (project), in Bhutan, in J&K, everywhere. You have to encounter all this,” he said. (PTI)
