Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on Monday directed officials to expedite the operation to locate the seven people trapped inside the partially collapsed SLBC tunnel in Nagarkurnool district and advised them to consult experts to plan the mission effectively.
During a meeting with officials overseeing the search, Reddy suggested appointing IAS officer Shivashankar Lotheti to closely monitor the operation.
Officials briefed the CM on the progress of the operation, which has been ongoing since February 22, when the tunnel partially collapsed, an official release said.
They explained that work is underway to remove soil, stones, and debris, including parts of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) that was damaged during the collapse. Dewatering is also being carried out.
They told the CM that the search operation has become more complex due to the location of the accident, which occurred 14 kms deep inside the tunnel, where ventilation and light are poor.
The officials also pointed out that 30 meters of the area at the accident site has been identified as particularly dangerous. As a result, they recommended that the search be carried out according to the scientific studies conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) and the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
As many as 700 personnel belonging to 25 state, central and private agencies are engaged in the search operation, according to the release.
The officials made a PowerPoint presentation on the operation, explaining the conditions inside the tunnel on the day of the accident and the current situation.
The CM instructed the officials to prioritise locating the seven people who still remain untraced and to explore all options for achieving this. He also suggested taking expert advice over continuing the operation, the release added.