Telangana tunnel rescue operations will likely end in 2 days: Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy

Days after the eight people, including two engineers, were trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel in Telangana’s Nagarkurnool district, following the collapse of its roof, irrigation and civil supplies minister Capt N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Wednesday said that the Indian Marine Commando Force (MARCOS) and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were roped in to aid the rescue operations and the rescue will likely be completed within two days

Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the Telangana government escalated its efforts, deploying elite forces, national agencies, and high-tech solutions to ensure the swift and safe evacuation of the trapped workers.

Following an extensive field assessment over the past two days, he stated that a concrete plan of action has been finalised to ensure the safety of both rescuers and survivors.

“The assessment yesterday (on Tuesday) was that the people going in to rescue and bring out the survivors would themselves be at great risk. Yesterday and today, we have assessed the situation thoroughly and devised clear strategies to minimise risk for the rescuers and move forward efficiently. We now have a well-defined plan, and we are accelerating the rescue and relief operations with greater speed,” he said.

The minister said that MARCOS commandos had now joined the operation, bringing in their expertise in extreme rescue missions. He expressed confidence that their intervention would significantly boost the efforts and the rescue will be completed within two days. The minister also hinted at the possibility of involving international tunnel rescue specialists if the situation required additional technical expertise.

“Based on field inspections conducted over the last two days, we have made key decisions, and we are now going ahead with them. We are also exploring alternate access routes, including approaching from the side and the main exit, to expedite the rescue,” he added.

At a high-level review meeting held at the incident site on Wednesday, the minister, along with minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, MP Mallu Ravi, Jadcherla MLA Anirudh Reddy, Setwin chairman Giridhar Reddy, special chief secretary for disaster management Arvind Kumar, Nagarkurnool collector Badavath Santosh, SP Gaikwad Raghunath, and TSSPDCL CMD Musharraf Ali, assessed the ongoing rescue operations and discussed the next phase of interventions.

The minister stated that multiple specialised teams from 11 agencies, including MARCOS, BRO, the Navy, Army, NDRF, SDRF, Rat Miners, and tunnel rescue experts, had been deployed to reach the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), where the workers remain trapped. He reiterated that the government was leaving no stone unturned, engaging top experts, modern technology, and global rescue strategies to accelerate the mission.

One of the biggest challenges in the rescue effort has been the massive accumulation of muddy water obstructing access to the TBM. To tackle this, the state government has intensified dewatering operations using advanced machinery, ensuring water removal progresses rapidly.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy explained that alternate access routes are also being explored to mitigate risk and improve the speed of the rescue mission. “We are taking additional precautions to ensure rescuer safety while moving forward aggressively to save the survivors,” he said.

He further emphasised that real-time monitoring of tunnel conditions was being carried out using advanced imaging systems. Experts were continuously assessing the structural stability of the tunnel, ensuring that rescue teams could proceed safely without any risks to either the trapped workers or the responders.

Since the incident occurred, the Telangana government has worked in close coordination with the Army, Navy, and other specialised forces. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy stated that a special high-level strategy meeting was held with MARCOS, BRO, the Navy, Army, Rat Miners, NDRF, and SDRF teams to refine the rescue approach further.

At the review meeting, senior officials, including Army Colonel Blacksmith Mehra, Lieutenant Colonel Harpal, Navy officer V.K. Prasad, Glen from Robin, Rat Miners representative Firoz Qureshi, NDRF DIG Mohsin Shahadi, and Commandant Prasanna, discussed ways to fast-track the rescue. The teams were instructed to integrate global best practices in tunnel rescue operations, ensuring that the trapped workers could be reached in the shortest possible time.

Besides MARCOS commandos, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and top tunnel engineering experts from New Delhi have also been enlisted to provide technical guidance for the operation. Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy said that remote-controlled devices, high-tech imaging systems, and precision excavation equipment were being deployed to assess the tunnel’s internal conditions with greater accuracy.

As part of the intensified rescue operations, the government has also introduced reinforced support structures to stabilise the pathway leading to the TBM, ensuring that rescuers can navigate safely through the tunnel. Officials have been instructed to accelerate debris removal and reinforce weakened tunnel sections to prevent any secondary collapses.

Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy reiterated that for the past five days, the state government has been working relentlessly, mobilising all available resources to bring the trapped workers to safety. He stated that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy was personally monitoring the situation, directing that all critical agencies remain stationed at the site until the workers are rescued.

The ministers reviewed the pathways leading to the workers and stressed the need for constant communication with those trapped to keep them reassured. Efforts were also being made to provide essential oxygen and other life-support resources inside the tunnel while the rescue teams worked to reach them as soon as possible.

The incident occurred during the construction of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel, and since then, the state government has centralised all emergency services at the site. Minister Reddy expressed optimism that with the intensified rescue efforts, deployment of elite forces, and new high-tech interventions, a breakthrough in reaching the trapped workers could happen very soon.