HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has constituted a high-level technical committee to oversee the final and most critical phase of rescue operations in the SLBC (Srisailam Left Bank Canal) tunnel. The decision follows a recent review meeting chaired by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.
In an official order issued by the State Disaster Management Authority, the committee includes experts from multiple key organisations. Members include the Commandant of the 10th Battalion of the NDRF, the Director of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), the Deputy Director General of the Geological Survey of India (GSI), the Director of the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), Colonel Parikshit Mehra of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Telangana PCCF, the Additional Director General of NDRF, the Chief Engineer of CDO, the Collector and SP of Nagarkurnool, and the Chief Engineer of SLBC, along with other technical experts.
The formation of the committee comes in the wake of GSI’s advisory cautioning against any rescue activity in the final 30 to 50 metres of the tunnel, identified as a critical zone due to unstable rock formations. The government has tasked the committee with formulating precise strategies for rescue efforts within this zone.
The primary responsibility of the committee will be to devise a safe and effective plan to recover the remains of six trapped workers and hand them over to their families within a specified timeframe. It must also provide recommendations to ensure the safety of personnel involved in the operation.
Rescue operations in the SLBC tunnel have been ongoing for the past 55 days. So far, over 800 tonnes of iron and more than 1,200 cubic metres of debris have been cleared up to the final 50-metre section. However, the remaining portion is deemed highly dangerous. GSI has warned that removing the rest of the debris without caution could lead to serious consequences and pose life-threatening risks to rescue workers.
Given these concerns, the government has directed the newly formed committee to proceed only after securing all necessary clearances and to ensure the highest safety standards during the continuation of the SLBC tunnel rescue.
