Significant Progress Expected in Rescue of Trapped Men in Telangana Tunnel

Hyderabad, Feb 26 (NationPress) As the efforts to rescue eight individuals trapped within the partially-collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district escalate, state Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced that a breakthrough in accessing the trapped men could occur "very soon".

The minister, who conducted a review of the situation with officials from various agencies participating in the rescue operation, confirmed that the mission has entered its final stages.

"With the enhanced rescue efforts, deployment of elite forces, and the introduction of advanced technologies, a breakthrough to reach the trapped workers may happen very soon," stated Uttam Kumar Reddy, accompanied by Roads and Buildings Ministers Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and MP Mallu Ravi, during their review of the operation.

The Irrigation Minister indicated that after a high-level meeting at the incident site, it was determined that the rescue would likely conclude within two days, with new strategies being implemented to overcome challenges encountered in the tunnel.

To support the intensified rescue operations, the government has also initiated reinforced support structures to stabilize the pathway leading to the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), ensuring safe navigation for rescuers within the tunnel, as posted by the minister on X.

"Officials have been directed to expedite debris removal and fortify weakened tunnel sections to avert any secondary collapses. For the past five days, the state government has tirelessly mobilized all available resources for the rescue of the trapped workers," remarked Uttam Kumar Reddy.

Chief Minister Revanth Reddy is actively overseeing the situation, ensuring that all essential agencies remain on-site until the workers are successfully rescued.

Uttam Kumar Reddy previously informed the press at the tunnel entrance that the rescue efforts would be expedited. Rescue teams will now proceed with a detailed action plan to reach the accident site through the accumulated silt.

During the review meeting, it was decided to implement comprehensive dewatering and desilting measures to thoroughly remove the silt. The Army, Navy, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and other rescue teams will execute this plan while prioritizing the safety of the workers. Assistance from rat miners will also be engaged.

The minister mentioned that specialists in tunnel construction from border regions and those involved in past rescue operations after similar incidents in other areas of the country are being recruited for this rescue effort.

"The best experts in the field and both serving and retired Army officers have been invited. They have entered the tunnel and emerged after assessing the situation," the minister elaborated.

Rescue teams are also considering input from international tunnel experts to inform their next steps.

Uttam Kumar Reddy noted that gas cutters will be utilized to remove damaged components of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) following the roof collapse on February 22.

A team of rescue workers from various agencies managed to traverse the last 40-meter stretch but there are still no updates regarding the fate of the eight individuals.

Tunnel experts from the Border Security Force (BSF) have been engaged as part of the efforts to access the head section of the TBM.

The rescue teams from the NDRF, Army, Navy, and other agencies have faced challenges advancing further due to mud heights of 7-9 meters, compounded by continuous water seepage, making the operation perilous for the rescue personnel.

In response to a request from Telangana, the National Disaster Management Authority has reached out to the National Remote Sensing Centre and the Geological Survey of India to conduct surface and subsurface evaluations of the incident site, a crucial step for ensuring the safety of the rescue teams.

The incident occurred 14 km inside the tunnel. Although rescue teams have reached 13.5 km, they have been unable to advance further in recent days due to mud, debris from the TBM, and water seepage. Divers from the Navy’s special forces unit, Marcos, have also been hindered by the sludge.

Over 100 hours have passed since the accident, casting doubt on the survival chances of the trapped individuals.

Meanwhile, Jaiprakash Gaur, founder of the Jaypee Group, visited the tunnel on Wednesday and expressed that they are making every effort to rescue the trapped workers. Jaypee is the contractor for the SLBC project.

Jaiprakash Gaur stated that once the rescue operation concludes, the company will resume work on the project, noting that similar incidents have occurred during previous tunnel projects.