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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Govt to opt for drill & blast method to resume work on SLBC tunnel
Hyderabad: The Telangana govt has decided to resume work on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC), which was halted in Feb following the collapse of the tunnel roof, using the drill and controlled blast (D&B) method on both ends of the project. The roof collapse incident claimed the lives of eight people, with the bodies of six yet to be retrieved. Of the total 44 km SLBC tunnel, approximately 14 km of work had been completed from the Domalapenta end, where the roof collapse occurred, and 21 km of work had been completed from the Dindi side. The remaining stretch to be completed is about 9 km. The govt used a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) on both ends to excavate the tunnel, which is meant to supply water for fluoride and drought-prone areas of Nalgonda and other surrounding regions. "After exploring multiple options, the technical committee on SLBC recommended that the drill and blast (D&B) method be used for the remaining work. With this, the work can be completed without any major hurdles. It is also more flexible and cost-effective. In a controlled blast, the rock and other conditions can be assessed beforehand," Col Parikshit Mehra, a tunnel expert from Border Road Organisation, who is overseeing the SLBC tunnelling works, told TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cardiologists: Teaspoon On an Empty Stomach Slims Waist from 36 To 22 Health Wellness Journal Learn more Undo The state govt roped him on deputation from the ministry of defence exclusively for the SLBC works. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad Stating that the groundwork has already begun, he said that D&B operations would begin in another two months, and the tunnel work is expected to be completed in two and a half years. Apart from the D&B method, the new Austrian Tunnelling Method will be used to assess the ground situation while carrying out the works in the tunnel. Officials estimate that the drill and blast method would cost Rs 100 crore per km, i.e, around Rs 900 crore for the remaining stretch. However, for TBM, the total cost would be around Rs 2,000 crore, which is almost double. As the govt has decided to use the D&B method to dig the tunnel, the govt has decided to dismantle the TBM machine located towards the Dindi end. The TBM machine on the Domalapenta end was completely damaged during the roof collapse and was removed as part of the rescue operations. Meanwhile, the tunnel work will now be rerouted in a U-shape from the left side of the existing tunnel, starting 100 metres behind the collapsed section.
New Indian Express
20-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Uttam orders urgent completion of SLBC tunnel, ropes in top experts to fast-track work
HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has directed officials to immediately resume the remaining tunnelling operations, including drilling and blasting, of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC). Calling SLBC a crucial lifeline for Telangana, he emphasised that its completion must be treated as a top priority and executed with urgency. An estimated 10 kilometres of tunnel work remains to be completed. On Saturday, the minister held a review meeting with officials of the Irrigation department to discuss various issues. During the meeting, he noted that the SLBC tunnel work is being undertaken using the latest electromagnetic survey technology, in collaboration with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI). To ensure precise planning and seamless execution, he directed officials to expedite the aerial LIDAR survey. Earlier in the day, he met NGRI scientists to finalise the technical modalities of the survey. He reiterated that cost would not be a constraint, but quality and speed must be maintained at the highest standards. The meeting also marked the first formal interaction with Colonel Parikshit Mehra, a globally acclaimed tunnel engineering expert who recently joined the Irrigation Department on deputation. The Minister expressed confidence that Mehra's expertise would help resolve long-pending technical challenges and fast-track the completion of the SLBC and other key tunnel projects. He also announced that General Harpal Singh, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, would soon be appointed as an Honorary Advisor to strengthen the department's technical capacity and execution capabilities. Meanwhile, Uttam Kumar Reddy instructed officials to prepare a scientific and practical plan for optimal utilisation of water during the ongoing Kharif season. He said the plan must account for current reservoir levels, expected monsoon inflows, and the total ayacut that can be effectively served. He stressed the need for a clear and coordinated water release strategy based on real-time data, crop patterns, and the geography of ayacut areas. 'Our primary objective is to ensure that no farmer suffers due to lack of water. The entire department must work proactively, with foresight and accountability,' he said. He directed officials to closely monitor dams, reservoirs, canals, and related infrastructure, and to take preventive measures to avoid breaches, flooding, or damage. He instructed the department to stay in regular contact with the Disaster Management Wing and ensure strong inter-agency coordination for flood control.
The Hindu
19-07-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Plans afoot to resume SLBC tunnel work soon as Irrigation Dept. ropes in experts from Army
HYDERABAD The Irrigation Department is planning to resume work at the earliest on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, which was halted on February 22 following collapse of the tunnel roof, about 14 km inside from the mouth, near Domalapenta, in Nagarkurnool district, burying 8 workers alive. Another 10 km tunnel is to be excavated to meet the work done from the other side. This was decided at a meeting held here on Saturday by Minister for Irrigation and Civil Supplies N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for an in-depth review of the pending work. The 43.931 km tunnel work was taken up from two sides – from Srisailam reservoir side near Domalapenta, and from Dindi balancing reservoir on the other side. The work was stopped in 2023 following a problem in the tunnel boring machine (TBM) from Dindi reservoir side. It was stopped in the Domalapenta side much earlier, again due to some problems in the TBM. It was resumed on February 22 after replacing some parts of the TBM in the Domalapent end, but within four days, the roof collapse incident took place. Only two of the 8 bodies were recovered before the rescue operation was abandoned in April-end, following the advice of the experts over the danger in taking up debris removal in the last 50 meters of the tunnel excavated from Domalapenta side. The Minister stated that drilling and blasting (excavation) was to be taken up in an estimated 10 km length for completing the tunnel. Terming SLBC lifeline for Southern parts of Telangana, he said its completion must be treated as a top priority and executed with urgency. He explained that the SLBC tunnel would be taken up/resumed using the latest electromagnetic survey technology in collaboration with the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI). To ensure precise planning and seamless execution, he instructed the officials to expedite the (aerial) LiDAR survey. Earlier in the day, he had a meeting with a team of NGRI scientists to finalise the technical modalities of the survey. He reiterated that cost would not be a constraint, but highest quality and speed must be maintained at every level. The meeting also marked the first formal interaction with Col. Parikshit Mehra, an acclaimed tunnel engineering expert who recently joined the Irrigation Department on deputation. The Minister expressed confidence that Col. Mehra's expertise would help resolve long-pending technical challenges and fast-track completion of the SLBC and other key tunnel projects. He stated that Gen. Harpal Singh, former Engineer-in-Chief of the Indian Army, too would be appointed as an honorary Advisor in the Irrigation Department soon to strengthen the department's technical capacity and tunnel execution capabilities. The Minister also reviewed the progress of de-siltation and de-sedimentation works across the Krishna and Godavari basins, which he said were essential to enhance/restore the storage capacity and improve water management. He pointed out that water storage capacity of several irrigation projects had come down drastically due to sedimentation and silt accumulation.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- General
- Time of India
SLBC tunnel rescue: Technical committee decides to use drill & blast method to continue work
Hyderabad: The technical committee of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) decided to use only the drill and blast method to continue the tunnel work and also for rescue operations in the 'critical zone' where the six remaining bodies are likely trapped. The panel also decided to decommission the services of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Indian Army for the rescue operations, as the govt has almost completed the search operations. However, the services of other agencies such as Singareni, South-Central Railways (SCR), HYDRAA, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) would be used to carry out any other works. The technical committee, comprising 18 members from various departments and constituted by the state govt on SLBC rescue works, held its first meeting on Thursday. The panel constituted a sub-committee with subject experts, including the Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), National Institute of Rock Mechanics (NIRM), Central Institute of Mining and Fuel Research (CIFMR), National Center for Seismology (NCS), and Col Parikshit Mehra, a tunnel expert from the Border Road Organisation (BRO), to provide a site-specific report on how to reach the remaining 43 metres of the 'critical zone' for rescue works and how to continue the tunnelling works. The technical committee was against using the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) for future work. "The sub-committee will examine the feasibility within the threshold as defined by the ministry of environment and forest and come up with recommendations," Telangana special chief secretary (disaster management) Arvind Kumar told TOI. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 3 Reasons to Plug This Into Your Home Today elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Learn More Undo Meanwhile, the Telangana irrigation department also started working on the available options to continue the tunnelling works and began a survey to provide a shaft or adit (a horizontal or nearly horizontal passage to an underground mine).
