Hyderabad, March 3 (IANS) Authorities have expedited the repair work on the conveyor belt to remove debris from the accident site in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district as the rescue operations continued for the 10th day on Monday.
The fate of eight persons, who were trapped in the tunnel after a portion of the roof collapsed on February 22, is still unknown.
Disaster Management Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar, Nagarkurnool District Collector Badavath Santosh, and other officials conducted a review meeting at the tunnel inlet office to assess the ongoing rescue operations.
The conveyor belt repairs have been expedited to facilitate the removal of debris from the SLBC accident site. Officials have confirmed that the dewatering process is progressing swiftly.
Telangana State Southern Power Distribution Company Limited Chairman and Managing Director Musharraf Ali, Nagarkurnool District Superintendent of Police Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath, Colonel Parikshit Mehra, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officer Prasanna, and representatives from HYDRAA, Singareni Mines Rescue, SDRF, Fire Services, and South Central Railway, participated in the meeting.
Disaster Management Special Chief Secretary Arvind Kumar analysed the challenges encountered in the rescue operations and discussed them with the teams involved. Authorities are continuously reviewing the rescue efforts with teams from 12 different agencies.
Special officers are being consulted for suggestions and guidance to ensure the necessary actions are implemented effectively. Advanced technology is being utilised under expert supervision to remove mud, sludge, and concrete debris from the tunnel.
To prevent further water inflow into the SLBC tunnel from above and from both sides, as well as to drain out the already accumulated water, special machinery has been deployed to operate continuously, ensuring the rescue operations proceed without hindrance.
Authorities are exploring the possibility of using robots to trace the eight trapped men.
Multiple rescue teams continued desilting and machine-cutting at the locations identified by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) after scanning the accident site through Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR).
Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Sunday suggested the use of robots in the tunnel in which eight persons remained trapped since February 22.
The Chief Minister, who visited the tunnel and held a review meeting with agencies involved in the rescue operation, asked officials to examine the possibility of using robots to prevent any further loss of life.
He said experts have not come to a conclusion whether eight missing persons are alive or dead.
The Chief Minister said it may take another 2-3 days for the rescue workers to come to a conclusion.
–IANS
ms/uk