Hyderabad: Rescue operations in the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel have been ongoing for 60 days in search of six missing workers, following the partial collapse of the tunnel’s roof on 22 February. While two bodies have been recovered so far, the fate of the remaining workers remains unknown.
A total of 560 personnel from 12 different agencies are working in three shifts to clear debris and locate the missing workers. Excavation has reached up to the D2 point—where an iron barricade was erected as a safety measure. Beyond this point lies the most dangerous stretch: the final 43 metres of the tunnel.
Experts from the Geological Survey of India (GSI) have warned that disturbing the soil beyond the barricade could trigger another collapse. It is suspected that the six missing workers may be trapped within this last 43-metre stretch.
To determine the future course of action, the state government has constituted a high-level technical committee, which will meet on Friday. The panel includes the NDRF Commandant, Director of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), Deputy Director General of the GSI, Director from the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Colonel Parikshit Mehra from the Border Roads Organisation, PCCF of the Forest Department, Additional Director General from SDRF, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department, Collector and SP of Nagarkurnool district, and the Chief Engineer of the SLBC project.
Given the high risk to even the rescue teams if excavation continues, sources indicate the committee may recommend halting further operations. The final decision will rest on the committee’s assessment of safety and feasibility in navigating the dangerously unstable final section of the tunnel.
