HYDERABAD: Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy said the ongoing rescue operations at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel would be completed within the next 10 to 15 days. He visited the rescue site on Wednesday and held a review meeting with officials. The minister also announced that the government had directed the district collector to provide ex gratia to the families of the remaining six workers.
Speaking to reporters later, the minister said that Krishna river water through the SLBC tunnel would be made available to people in Nalgonda and Khammam districts within the next two and a half years.
Srinivasa Reddy explained that the remaining excavation work inside the tunnel is estimated to be between 105 and 110 metres. Once these works are completed, the rescue operations will reach their final stage. He pointed out that a boulder and accumulated slush over a 250-metre-long stretch inside the tunnel had been a major obstacle to the rescue efforts.
The minister highlighted that approximately 700 to 800 personnel from various agencies have been engaged in the rescue operations over the past 40 days. The operations entered their 40th day on Wednesday. Eight workers were trapped inside the tunnel on February 22, and so far, officials have recovered two bodies.
He emphasised that precautionary measures would be implemented to prevent such incidents in future tunnel projects.
‘Cong committed to completing project’
The minister noted that the tunnel works had commenced during the tenure of the YS Rajasekhara Reddy government, and the present Congress government is committed to completing the project to provide irrigation water to the people.
He further stated that the removal of parts of the tunnel boring machine was underway, but the rescue operations remained challenging due to insufficient lighting and oxygen levels inside the tunnel.