"slbc-tunnel-collapse"

BRS leader Talasani Srinivas Yadav questioned the Centre and State government for not ordering inquiries into irrigation project failures, including the SLBC tunnel collapse, and demanded probes by central agencies while criticising Congress for governance lapses

A year after the SLBC tunnel roof collapse that trapped eight workers, six bodies remain unrecovered and work on the irrigation project is yet to resume, raising concerns over delays despite government assurances and technical surveys to revive excavation

BRS working president KT Rama Rao criticised the Congress government for failing to recover the bodies of eight workers trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel collapse, which occurred a year ago.

Nine months after the collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Nagarkurnool district that killed eight workers, the state government has disbursed Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia to each of the victims’ families. The National Geophysical Research Institute is now completing advanced surveys.

The Srisailam Left Bank Canal Tunnel project, intended to bring Krishna River water to Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda, remains stalled following a fatal roof collapse and the insolvency of contractor Jaiprakash Associates Ltd. Despite partial progress, a critical nine-kilometre stretch remains incomplete.

K.T. Rama Rao accused the Congress government of negligence after failing to retrieve the bodies of three youngsters washed away in Hyderabad nalas. He compared it to the SLBC tunnel tragedy, blaming CM Revanth Reddy for weakening disaster response systems.

Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy informed that a detailed presentation on the Banakacherla project would be held at Praja Bhavan on June 30 at 3 PM.

Former BRO Director-General Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Harpal Singh will join the mission as an honorary advisor, bringing decades of tunneling experience.

Telangana is set to resume work on the SLBC tunnel with help from Indian Army and BRO experts. High-tech surveys using Danish equipment and LiDAR will begin July 12, following a fatal collapse in February that halted the project

The SLBC tunnel collapse killing eight workers, has spotlighted Jaiprakash Associates’ failure to address geological risks flagged in prior surveys. As rescue efforts end, accountability and safety lapses raise concerns about project management

He posted on X, "With a capable leader and a fully functional government, humans could have been brought back from Mars within three months. But because it’s the Congress, they haven’t even managed to recover the bodies from the tunnel."

Operations at the tunnel have been halted, leaving the mission unfinished and the fate of six missing workers uncertain. Approximately 120 personnel from Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRA) are still engaged in the final stages of the operations.

Political involvement proved to be a distraction; Ministers’ focus on defending lapses at the worksite added to the chaos rather than resolving it

Despite the tireless work of 12 specialised agencies, the mission is wrapping up without locating the six missing workers who were trapped after the tunnel roof collapsed on February 22

The operations were scaled up by engaging as many as four mini-excavators.

Harish Rao called for a thorough investigation into the incident and the reported lapses in the rescue operations. Holding the Revanth Reddy-led government responsible, he said eight workers remain trapped inside the tunnel due to the administration’s negligence. “This government's carelessness has thrown the lives of eight innocent individuals into uncertainty and left their families in deep anguish,” he stated.

Although the original target was to finish the task by April 10, progress has been hindered by slushy conditions due to rising water seepage at the accident site. However, officials remain hopeful that the tunnel will be cleared up to the cave-in point by April 15, as long as operations continue smoothly.

Sensors installed to continuously monitor air quality; adequate airflow procedures being implemented to support rescue efforts

During a visit to the accident site, Srinivas Reddy highlighted the swift progress of rescue efforts. The clearing of the 105-110 tunnel stretch still left filled with debris would resolve the issue.

In a fresh attempt to assess the progress of the rescue operations, SLBC Tunnel Special Officer Siva Shankar Lotheti reviewed the situation at the tunnel office on Tuesday