Published Feb 27, 2025 | 9:27 AM ⚊ Updated Feb 27, 2025 | 9:27 AM
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy with Rescue workers
Synopsis: Army, Navy, NDRF, SDRF, rat hole miners, BRO, tunnel rescue experts – the experts rush in and the wheels of bureaucracy keep turning as poor workers sacrifice their lives in dangerous bids to eke out a livelihood
The ongoing rescue operation at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel will be completed within two days, Telangana Irrigation & Civil Supplies Minister Capt. N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced on Wednesday, 26 February.
However, the international press has already been reporting about the slim chances of finding the trapped workers alive – on Saturday morning, a portion of the tunnel near Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district collapsed, trapping 50 workers; while most of the workers managed to escape, eight remain trapped.
The tunnel, with a diameter of 33 feet, was swept with the rush of water and mud after the roof collapsed. Loose soil inside the tunnel has made rescue operations difficult.
On Wednesday, the minister stated that a thorough assessment of the situation had been completed and the government had finalised a plan to accelerate the evacuation of the eight workers.
“The assessment yesterday was that the people going in to rescue and bring out the survivors would themselves be at great risk. Yesterday and today, we have assessed the situation thoroughly and devised clear strategies to minimise risk for the rescuers and move forward efficiently. We now have a well-defined plan, and we are accelerating the rescue and relief operations with greater speed,” Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy told reporters.
The state government has enlisted elite forces, including the Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) Naval Commandos and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Multiple specialised teams from 11 agencies, including the Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, Rat Miners, and tunnel rescue experts, are working to reach the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) where the workers remain trapped.
One of the biggest challenges in the rescue effort has been the massive accumulation of muddy water obstructing access to the TBM.
To tackle this, the state government has intensified dewatering operations using advanced machinery, ensuring water removal progresses rapidly.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that alternate access routes are also being explored to mitigate risk and improve the speed of the rescue mission.
“We are taking additional precautions to ensure rescuer safety while moving forward aggressively to save the survivors,” he said.
He further emphasised that real-time monitoring of tunnel conditions was being carried out using advanced imaging systems.
Experts were continuously assessing the structural stability of the tunnel, ensuring that rescue teams could proceed safely without any risk to either the trapped workers or the responders.
Uttam Kumar Reddy said that MARCOS Naval commandos had now joined the operation, bringing in their expertise in extreme rescue missions.
He expressed confidence that their intervention would significantly boost the efforts to save the workers. The minister also hinted at the possibility of involving international tunnel rescue specialists if the situation required additional technical expertise.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and top tunnel engineering experts from New Delhi have also been enlisted to provide technical guidance for the operation.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy revealed that remote-controlled devices, high-tech imaging systems, and precision excavation equipment were being deployed to assess the tunnel’s internal conditions with greater accuracy.
As part of the intensified rescue operations, the government has also introduced reinforced support structures to stabilise the pathway leading to the TBM, ensuring that rescuers can navigate safely through the tunnel.
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that for the past five days, the state government has been working relentlessly, mobilising all available resources to bring the trapped workers to safety.
He stated that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was personally monitoring the situation, directing that all critical agencies remain stationed at the site until the workers are rescued.
The ministers reviewed the pathways leading to the workers and stressed the need for constant communication with those trapped to keep them reassured.
Efforts were also being made to provide essential oxygen and other life-support resources inside the tunnel while the rescue teams worked to reach them as soon as possible.
Despite reaching the critical endpoint of the tunnel, expert rathole miners have yet to locate the missing workers.
The 12-member team, led by Firoz Qureshi of Uttarakhand, navigated through treacherous conditions to clear debris and create a pathway for other rescue teams.
“The situation at the end is difficult. We have reached what feels like a dead-end, but we are determined to continue. The district collector has assured us of any resources we need,” said Munna Qureshi, one of the rathole miners.
The entire stretch of the tunnel remains blocked by debris and water-logging, emitting a foul smell that suggests an adverse outcome.
Experts suspect that the workers might be trapped beneath the collapsed 1600-ton TBM.
The rathole miners, equipped only with ropes and basic tools, removed accumulated mud and water, confirming that the TBM was completely destroyed.
They also identified the source of water flow from the tunnel lining and removed TBM fragments to make the rescue mission more manageable.
(Edited by Rosamma Thomas)
