"Telangana to revive the SLBC tunnel project, leveraging modern engineering tools to resume long-pending works."

The Telangana government has decided to resume work on the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project using advanced tunnelling methods, nearly a year after a partial roof collapse halted construction and claimed eight lives.

A section of the tunnel project on the Krishna river in Nagarkurnool district had collapsed in February last year. Official sources said the debris inside the tunnel, including the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM), has since been removed, clearing the way for the resumption of work.

“Some machinery has already been moved to the site to restart the work, and additional equipment is expected to be deployed soon. Experts are being consulted on the safety measures that need to be adopted,” sources told PTI on Monday.

State Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday reviewed the project with officials and assessed preparations for restarting construction. The government has decided to abandon the TBM method used earlier, after it was found to be ineffective due to challenging geological conditions, and instead adopt advanced tunnelling technologies to complete the project.