TELANGANA TUNNEL RESCUE
NAGARKURNOOL, (Telangana), Feb 25: Top experts from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, GSI and other agencies made relentless efforts on Tuesday to find a breakthrough in the collapsed SLBC tunnel rescue work amidst threat to the lives of rescuers’ with the continuous flow of silt and water.
Addressing media persons, Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy cited experts, who described this as the most complex and difficult tunnel rescue operation in the world or at least in India as there is only one entry or exit to the SLBC tunnel.
He opined that the collapse might have taken place due to a slight tectonic shift and as some geological fault lines have given way.
It is the fourth day since eight persons have been trapped in the partially collapsed tunnel of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) project.
“There is one problem. The flow of slit and water into the tunnel at a very high speed continues. So there was one opinion expressed by some experts that the people going into the rescue, even their lives could be endangered. So, we are a responsible government, we are taking the best expert opinion, and we will take a final call on that (on how to go about it),” he said.
The political slugfest over the accident continued as BRS Working President K T Rama Rao sought a judicial probe into the incident, while Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy dismissed the demand, stating that this is not the time for politics and that the focus should be on rescuing those trapped inside the tunnel.
Minister Reddy noted that experts from 11 agencies such as Indian Army, the Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) of Navy, NDRF, SDRF, GSI, Rat Miners and Singareni Collieries Company Ltd are working round the clock to save the eight lives.
To explore alternative approaches, Reddy said experts are assessing the feasibility of drilling from the top and side of the tunnel while ensuring all necessary safety precautions.
Reddy said he held discussions with Border Security Force General Harpal Singh over phone to brief him on the SLBC incident and seek his expertise.
There was no contact with the trapped persons though oxygen is being pumped into the tunnel continuously.
Reddy said the state government is dedicated to saving the lives of the trapped persons and has been using the best possible talent in India and anywhere in the world.
Reacting to BRS’ criticism that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, who has visited Delhi 36 times, does not have the time to visit those trapped in the SLBC tunnel even after 72 hours, Uttam Reddy termed it as “disgraceful politics”.
Nagarkurnool District Collector B Santhosh said before taking any step forward, stability of the tunnel has been taken into consideration even as dewatering is going on.
“As of now we are not able to communicate with them (trapped persons). We are taking the advice of the Geological survey of India and some other people. As of now we are dewatering and going forward. But for the last 40 or 50 meters we are not able to go. As of now we are taking the advice of GSI and NGRI. L& T experts have also come here,” the collector told PTI.
He said the teams were not able to go into the last 50 meters where the eight persons were trapped, due to accumulation of muck and debris.
The collector further said the teams were able to go up to the tunnel boring machine (TBM). But, after the TBM, at a stretch of 40-50 meters, there is 4-5 meter height of sludge accumulation which was impeding further movement of the teams.
With additional support and equipment, the team has again gone inside, he said, adding “the strategy (of the team) is to cross that 40 meters stretch and communicate with the people who are inside”. (PTI)