SLBC tunnel to be completed by June 2028, says Uttam Kumar Reddy

Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Telangana government is committed to completing the SLBC tunnel by June 2028. He reviewed project progress, stressed safety, resolved bottlenecks and directed officials to accelerate construction using advanced technology and additional equipment

Hyderabad: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said the government was committed to completing the SLBC tunnel by June 2028.

Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Srisailam Left Bank Canal (AMR-SLBC) Project on Monday, the Minister said the government would clear bottlenecks, resolve land acquisition issues, strengthen technical supervision and ensure that the SLBC tunnel and canal network are completed together.

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Since the resumption of work on the SLBC tunnel using advanced technologies and observation techniques, nearly half a km of progress has already been achieved, while progress from the Devarkonda side has been steady, officials said.

All precautions were being taken to ensure the safety of the teams working on the Srisailam side as well, they said. Three arm boomers have already reached the Mumbai port and will reach the project site by the end of this month, which will further accelerate the progress.

The revised administrative approval for the project is about Rs. 12,718 crore. The Minister said the Main Tunnel-I, Main Tunnel-II, Dindi component, balancing reservoirs and canal network should be treated as one integrated project.

Adequate tunnel lighting and ventilation

At the same time, the Minister cautioned that speed should never come at the cost of safety. He called for adequate lighting and ventilation throughout the tunnel, the deployment of senior geologists, authority engineers and technical experts, and continuous quality monitoring.

The Minister noted that manpower at the tunnel site had been increased threefold. Machinery was being mobilised, tunnel lining works were progressing and additional specialised equipment was being brought in to accelerate construction, he added.