The Telangana government has allocated Rs 4 crore for robotic technology to expedite the rescue mission after failing to trace the eight trapped men inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) in the Nagarkurnool district even 15 days after the incident. The cadaver sniffer dogs from Kerala detected a strong odour at a specific location, indicating the presence of three individuals. Currently, 525 personnel are engaged in rescue efforts.
“The final 50 metres remain highly unstable, posing severe risks due to oxygen depletion, excessive water seepage, and metal fragments from the collapsed Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM). Given these hazards, robots equipped with high-resolution cameras, infrared sensors, and robotic arms would be deployed to assess conditions and assist in extraction,” said Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy, explaining the slow pace of the rescue work. He held a review meeting with the officials of the multiple agencies working at the site to rescue the trapped workers.
He said the team has progressed till 13.5 km, though the last 50-metre stretch has proved to be inaccessible even as the conveyor belt has been made operational once again. Dewatering and desilting were being carried out continuously to prevent waterlogging inside the 14-km-long tunnel.
Scientists from the Geological Survey of India have warned that the site was quite unstable and risky for rescue workers trying to dig out the trapped men. This prompted the state government to go for robotic technology to extract the trapped men. The minister also assured that the government will provide full support to the families of the missing workers.
A total of 11 agencies engaged in the rescue work were unable to bring out the eight trapped men suspected to be trapped under the silt and the metal debris of the Tunnel Boring Machine.