HYDERABAD: Despite four days of relentless rescue operations, officials remain clueless about the fate of the eight workers trapped inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district.
Rescue teams, representing 11 national and state agencies, struggled to cross a crucial 40-metre stretch even on Tuesday. Technical challenges have further complicated the operation, with robotic cameras failing inside the tunnel and drones unable to capture any footage beyond the tunnel boring machine (TBM) tail.
The 13.85 km-long tunnel has no water for up to 10.7 km from the Nagarkurnool district side. However, at 10.95 km, there is 1.5 feet of water, rising to 2–2.5 feet at 11.3 km. Rescue teams have so far managed to reach only up to 13.79 km.
The conveyor belt, positioned at 5.5 metres on the right-hand side, remains inoperative, while the loco track is accessible only up to 12 km. These factors have made the rescue operation increasingly difficult.
The trapped workers have been inside the tunnel since 8:30 am on Saturday, with rescue operations commencing later that evening.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy visited the site on Tuesday to review the progress and challenges.
“Teams from NGRI and GSI were trying to determine the area covered by slush and water. The last 40 metres are covered by water and slush. The slush was located at a height of 15 metres and spread over 200 metres,” Reddy said. He said that the pipeline supplying air was completely damaged near the TBM.
According to preliminary estimates, the total volume of slush was 10,000 cubic metres and removing it was a challenging task for the rescue teams.
The minister said that the repairs of the conveyor belt would be completed by Thursday. The conveyor could shift 800 tonnes of slush. The seepage was between 3,600 litres and 5,000 litres per hour, the minister confirmed, adding that a dedicated pipeline would be used to remove water and slush.
"Every available resource is being deployed to ensure the safe rescue of the trapped workers. Experts from across the country have been deployed," he added.
The minister acknowledged the major obstacles hindering the rescue efforts, including rising water levels inside the tunnel, silt accumulation, and heavy debris.
"The increasing water flow inside the tunnel, silt accumulation, and heavy debris are creating major obstacles for the rescue teams. Despite these challenges, our personnel are displaying extraordinary dedication, working continuously without rest. We are deploying high-powered pumps to remove the floodwater, but the conditions remain extremely difficult," Reddy said after the review.
Exploring alternative rescue methods, experts are assessing the feasibility of drilling from the top and sides of the tunnel, ensuring all necessary safety precautions are taken.
Reddy also spoke with retired General Harpal Singh of the Border Security Force (BSF) over the phone regarding the crisis.
"General Harpal Singh acknowledged the complexity of the situation and assured his full support in providing technical expertise and assistance. He also noted that such a challenging rescue operation had never occurred before in the country, making this an unprecedented crisis," he said.
Eleven agencies, including the Indian Army, Navy, Marcos Commandos, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), Singareni, HYDRAA, Geological Survey of India (GSI), Navayuga, L&T tunnel experts, and the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), are involved in the ongoing rescue operations, working round the clock.
The review meeting saw the participation of Army Lieutenant Colonel Vikas, Marcos from the Navy, NDRF Commandant Prasanna, Deputy Commandant Sukhod, SDRF Regional Fire Officer Sudhakar Rao, Sadanandam from Singareni, Cooper from L&T, GSI Director Shailendra Kumar, Special Officer to the State Government Arvind Kumar, JVLN Kumar from the Narayana team, Anshukal Khed, Director-in-LFO from MoRTH, Siddharth from Proboscope, Firoz Qureshi from Rat Mines, Pankaj from JP Associates, Chief Engineer of the Irrigation Department Ajay Kumar, Sathyanarayana (E.E.), and D.E. Srinu, among others.
