SLBC Tunnel Work To Resume Only After Geophysical Tests, Experts Recommend Drilling And Blasting Method

Hyderabad: The work on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel will resume only after conducting a comprehensive geophysical test, an expert panel said. The panel also recommended using the drilling and Blasting Method to continue the work, as the earlier Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) was badly damaged during rescue efforts at Domalapenta and cannot be reused.

The panel, set up by the Telangana government, met on Friday at 'Jalasoudha' here. The meeting was led by Nalgonda Chief Engineer Ajay Kumar and included senior officials and experts like irrigation Advisor Adityanath Das, Engineer-in-Chief Anil Kumar, rock expert Naitani, and scientists from the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI). Colonel Parikshit Mehra from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) joined the meeting online.

The committee said that before starting any digging work, it is important to gather detailed geological data of a 30-meter-high and 20-meter-long section of the tunnel area. The NGRI will carry out these tests and is expected to submit a report within two months. Based on that, the government will decide how to move forward.

One major challenge is getting environmental clearance to build a vertical shaft (an opening from the surface). Since that may take time, the construction company has suggested removing tunnel debris through the existing tunnel path instead.

The panel also discussed the sensitive task of recovering the bodies of six workers believed to be buried under the mud. Naitani warned against removing all the mud at once, saying it could cause another collapse. Instead, he suggested digging slowly from the sides and middle to keep the tunnel safe during recovery.