Families still awaiting closure as work resumes on SLBC project
Work on the collapsed SLBC tunnel is set to resume, but families of six missing workers still await closure. Despite complex rescue efforts and aid from the State, they feel abandoned.
Hyderabad: Months after the tragic collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel on February 22, the families of six missing workers continue to live in anguish and uncertainty. Even as work on the tunnel is set to resume in July, these families remain without closure, grappling with the absence of their loved ones.
The SLBC tunnel, part of a critical irrigation project designed to tap Krishna River water, caved in approximately 14 kilometres from its entrance.
Eight workers, including two engineers from Jaiprakash Associates, were trapped when the collapse occurred due to a sudden influx of water and silt, resulting in nearly 200 metres of tunnel being blocked by debris.
The Telangana government paid Rs. 25 lakh each to the families of Gurpreet Singh and Manoj Kumar, whose bodies were recovered on March 9 and March 26, respectively.
Though the legal responsibility for compensation lies with the contractor, Jaiprakash Associates, the State extended financial aid to the families of the six other workers presumed dead, pending official death certification. This was described as a humanitarian gesture to ease the suffering of the bereaved families.
However, families like that of Rampratap Sahu from Jharkhand continue to feel abandoned. His son, among the missing, remains unaccounted for. Many relatives camped outside the project office for weeks, clinging to hope.
“We were never given a chance to see the bodies or perform final rites,” said Jaspreet Kaur from Punjab, whose family lost a member. She expressed outrage over the decision to resume tunnel work despite known risks of seepage.
Rescue operation was among the most complex of its kind, involving over 700 personnel from the Indian Army, Navy, NDRF, SDRF, HYDRAA, Singareni Collieries, Uttarakhand’s rat-hole miners, and other agencies.
Ground-penetrating radar, hydraulic robots, and high-capacity pumps were deployed in an intensive search that lasted until April 30, when operations were suspended due to mounting costs and increased risk to rescuers. Expenditure on the rescue was estimated between Rs.50 crore and Rs.60 crore.
Investigations attributed the incident to a lack of proper geological surveys and violations of safety protocols. While the State government had initially promised to continue the search, it was eventually halted, leaving the families of the six missing workers in deep anguish and without closure.
With tunnel work expected to restart soon, concerns are being raised about accountability and the safety of future operations. For the families of the missing, the pain remains raw, as they attempt to rebuild their lives without their primary breadwinners.