It has been six days since the under-construction Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapsed and yet, there is no word on the fate of the eight unfortunate workers trapped inside. It is not easy for rescue teams to get through, since the men were stranded at the far end behind a heap of mud and rising water. At this moment, despite the brave efforts of the rescue team that includes personnel from the national and state disaster response forces, the army and the navy, one can only pray for a miracle.
This is no time for a blame game, though unfortunately, it has already begun. The SLBC, touted as the world’s longest irrigation tunnel when the contracts were awarded in 2005, is for providing farming and drinking water to the Nalgonda region. Over the last two decades, the project has run into financial and operational difficulties. The very idea of boring a tunnel under a 400-metre-high surface next to the Krishna in the Rajiv Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary is fraught with risks. The estimated cost has understandably shot up to ₹4,000 crore from the initial ₹2,800 crore. Once the tunnel is cleared of debris, the government will have to answer many questions. First, was a geological survey conducted before starting the works? If so, how was a green signal given? It is there for all to see how brittle the surface is and how much water is seeping through every hour—around 5,000 litres. Projects of this magnitude need thorough vetting, especially because there have been quite a few incidents pertaining to irrigation projects in Telangana, including the collapse of a roof in the Kaleshwaram project in 2017 in which seven workers lost lives and the fire at the Srisailam Left Bank Hydel Power Station in 2020 in which nine perished.
Such incidents show that a systemic problem has crept in and can no longer be ignored. Due diligence seems to have gone for a toss. The state government must order an inquiry to know the cause of the SLBC tragedy and hold the involved contracting agencies and other officials accountable. It should also take a hard look at all such projects and ensure accidents do not recur.