The rescue operation at the collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district continues in full swing, as efforts to save eight trapped workers entered their tenth day on Monday.
Acccording to officials concerned, around twelve agencies are working round the clock in a coordinated effort to locate the victims.
NDRF Commandant VVN Prasanna Kumar, overseeing the rescue mission, affirmed that operations were being carried out at maximum capacity but locating the trapped workers remained a challenge.
“Actually, the operation is going on in full swing. Approximately twelve agencies are working around the clock to find the victims. Unfortunately, we have not been able to locate them so far,” he said.
Extensive rescue efforts underway
The complex nature of the tunnel operation has necessitated the deployment of top experts from across the country, with both the Telangana and Central governments mobilising resources to aid the mission.
“Due to the complexity of the tunnel operation, we could not achieve success so far. However, maximum manpower is engaged in a planned manner, and hopefully, we will get success in a short time,” Kumar stated.
Also read: Telangana CM to review tunnel rescue efforts
According to Kumar, nearly 300 personnel, including 100 NDRF members, along with teams from the SDRF, Indian Army, and Singareni Collieries, are actively involved in the high-risk operation.
The greatest challenge remains the removal of a massive 1,500-ton tunnel boring machine (TBM) that was damaged inside the tunnel, obstructing access to the trapped workers.
Chief Minister and Opposition visit site
Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy visited the SLBC tunnel site on Sunday to assess the progress of the rescue mission.
Expressing concern over the prolonged nature of the operation, he assured that all necessary measures were being taken to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislators, including MLA Maheshwar Reddy, also visited the site on Saturday.
Reddy attributed the accident to mismanagement and negligence by both the present and former state governments.
“Rescue operation is underway, but the state government is responsible for this incident. They neglected several issues and started the work, because of which today, the lives of eight people are in danger. The state government should take responsibility for this incident,” he stated.
The disaster, which occurred on 22 February, has drawn widespread attention, with political leaders and experts calling for a comprehensive review of safety protocols in major infrastructure projects.
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