Robots to be deployed in SLBC tunnel rescue operation to find missing persons from March 11

Agencies involved in rescue operation caution against rushing through debris removal in last 70 metres stating it contains high risk to personnel on job

As the rescue operation to find the 8 persons trapped under the debris 14 km inside the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel entered 15th day on Saturday (March 8, 2025), the agencies involved in the arduous task the State Government has decided to deploy robots from Tuesday (March 11) on the recommendations of the agencies involved to complement the human efforts.

Use of robots was discussed at a meeting to review the rescue efforts done so far at the base office of the contract agency near the tunnel mouth at Domalapenta village in Nagarkurnool district on Saturday as the agencies taking part in the debris removal are finding it increasingly difficult to remove it in the last 70 meters of the tunnel. The agencies want to locate and bring out the missing persons trapped under the debris at the earliest to end the operation.

Minister for Irrigation N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management) Arvind Kumar held a meeting with the rescue agencies, wherein the Geological Survey of India (GSI) scientists have cautioned the rescue agencies, particularly those involved in the debris removal including cutting the damaged tunnel boring machine (TBM) into small parts, against any rush through since the task in the last 70 meters is involved with high risk and it be carried out with utmost caution, the GSI personnel told the authorities.

The operation of dewatering and de-silting must be carried out continuously to avoid water-logging in the tunnel as it would add to more silt formation that would accumulate along with the seepage water. Further digging is taken up at the points identified by the human remains detection dogs (HRDDs) or the cadaver sniffer dogs from Kerala beyond 5 feet depth with high precautions as the workers engaged in the work have the risk of getting trapped in the mud and in the second layer of the TBM parts.

Col. Parikshit Mehra of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the experts of the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), GSI, cadaver sniffer dog handlers from Kerala, Rat Miners from Uttarakhand, robotic agency, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Military Engineering Academy, Singareni Collieries and South Central Railway explained the status of the rescue works. They also explained to the minister the reasons for slow pace of progress in the debris removal and measures needed to overcome the hurdles.

The minister stated that despite low levels of oxygen, constant water seepage in high volume, the hard and heavy debris of the TBM, boulders, stones, mud and other problems were making the task difficult inside the tunnel. The State Government was planning to spend ₹4 crore for deployment of robots in the rescue operation to be handled by the ANVI Robotics.

Published - March 08, 2025 05:12 pm IST