Hyderabad: In a major technological move, the option of deploying robots is in consideration to take over critical operations in the SLBC tunnel project, ensuring its completion. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy reaffirmed the State government’s determination to complete the 40-kilometer-long tunnel, which aims to take 30 TMC of Krishna River water from the Srisailam project to the drought-prone districts of Nalgonda and Suryapet.
Despite a recent tunnel roof collapse, the government has ruled out any possibility of abandoning the project. The Chief Minister, who visited the accident site on Saturday, emphasized that the incident would not slow down the progress. He explained that tunnel excavation is being carried out from both ends, with two tunnel boring machines (TBMs) in operation.
While the TBM affected by the collapse had only 5.5 kilometers of work left, the other end had already completed 19.5 kilometers, leaving just 3.5 kilometers to be bored. The remaining seven-kilometer stretch will now see the deployment of robotic technology to ensure efficiency and safety.
Revanth Reddy attributed the slow progress in the past decade to the previous BRS administration, stating that this project is set to become one of the longest tunnel undertakings in the world. He described the collapse as a natural calamity rather than a consequence of human error, recalling past incidents like the Devadula project accident and the SLBC hydel station fire that resulted in casualties.
The Chief Minister praised the swift response from government officials and experts, noting that ministers and rescue teams from eleven organizations arrived at the site within hours of the incident. Over the past nine days, these teams have been working relentlessly on rescue operations.
He specifically acknowledged Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy for utilizing his defense service experience to coordinate various agencies involved in the mission. The Chief Minister admitted that mobilizing such a large-scale response would have been difficult without Reddy’s leadership.
With the integration of robotic technology into the tunneling process, the government remains steadfast in its commitment to completing the SLBC project without further delays.
