Telangana Political Firestorm Over Collapsed SLBC Tunnel

Hyderabad - The collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and the protracted rescue operation for eight trapped individuals has ignited a fierce political debate in Telangana, with opposition parties Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and BJP launching strong criticism against the ruling Congress government.

The incident has sparked renewed controversy over irrigation project management in the state, with Congress and BRS trading accusations over ineffective handling of the sector. The Congress government, which marked its first anniversary in December 2024, now faces significant criticism for allegedly endangering lives through inadequate project planning.

Opposition leaders have specifically targeted Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy for not visiting the accident site at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district, while dismissing ministerial visits to the tunnel as mere "picnics." BJP Legislature Party leader Alleti Maheshwar Reddy led fellow MLAs to the site on March 1, attributing the disaster to government negligence and lack of precautionary measures.

"The government should explain what tests were conducted to assess the earth's condition at the tunnel, which falls under the shear zone," Reddy stated, adding that the government must be held accountable if the trapped workers are found dead. While criticizing the state administration, he praised the central government's swift deployment of Army, Navy, and NDRF resources following Prime Minister Modi's directives.

Former minister and BRS leader T. Harish Rao also visited the site, claiming the government lacked proper planning and failed to deliver oxygen beyond the debris. "The pipe meant for supplying oxygen was damaged due to debris, but the government made no effort to supply oxygen through a new pipe to the place where the eight persons were suspected to be trapped," Rao alleged.

Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy dismissed these visits as "political theatrics," pointing to the BRS government's own failures during previous disasters, including the 2020 Srisailam Left Bank Power Station blast that claimed nine lives and the Devadula lift irrigation project tunnel flooding where seven workers' remains were recovered only after five years.

The Minister blamed BRS for the current accident, asserting that it would not have happened had the project been completed during their decade in power. He defended the absence of the Chief Minister at the site, stating that such a visit would have disrupted rescue operations, and expressed determination to complete the SLBC tunnel project despite challenges.

"Part of the tunnel collapsed due to the previous BRS regime stopping work on the project for the last 10 years as they were not receiving commissioners from the contractor," claimed Chief Minister Revanth Reddy.

The 44-km SLBC tunnel, designed to carry 30 tmcft of Krishna River water from Srisailam dam to drought-prone regions of Nalgonda and Nagarkurnool districts, faces substantial engineering challenges due to its location in a geologically fractured zone. Rescue efforts have been complicated by the tunnel's design, which lacks intermediate exit points due to its path through the Amrabad Tiger Reserve.

The government has pledged to resume tunnel work within two to three months after successfully rescuing the trapped workers.