Telangana: Public Interest Petition Filed in High Court Over SLBC Tunnel Incident

Hyderabad: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Telangana High Court regarding the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel incident.

The petition, filed by the National Union for Migrant Workers, seeks immediate action to safely rescue the eight workers trapped in the collapsed tunnel.

The PIL highlights that despite the incident occurring 10 days ago, the whereabouts of the trapped workers are still unknown.

Petition Calls for Urgent Action to Locate Trapped Workers

The PIL has urged the court to ensure the safe extraction of the trapped workers, emphasizing that the search and rescue efforts have been ongoing but remain unsuccessful in locating the workers. The court has taken cognizance of the petition and directed further proceedings regarding the matter.

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Advocate General Provides Update on Rescue Operations

During the proceedings, Telangana’s Advocate General (AG) Sudhakar Reddy informed the court that multiple rescue teams are involved in the operation, including the Army, Singareni Rescue Team, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). He assured the court that rescue operations are being carried out 24/7 with the utmost urgency, and the state government is closely monitoring the efforts to ensure their effectiveness.

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The AG further assured the court that the government is doing everything possible to bring the workers to safety and reiterated the commitment to resolving the crisis.

Court Concludes Hearing, Records AG’s Submissions

After hearing the submissions, the High Court took note of the AG’s detailed update on the rescue operations. The court concluded the hearing on the PIL and scheduled further proceedings. The petition, filed by the National Union for Migrant Workers, has brought attention to the plight of the workers, most of whom are from out-of-state.

Rescue Efforts Continue Amid Challenges

The incident occurred on February 22 when a section of the tunnel collapsed, trapping eight workers. Despite the continuous efforts of rescue teams, the challenges posed by water seepage, debris, and other obstacles have slowed progress.

The trapped workers have been identified as Manoj Kumar and Sri Niwas from Uttar Pradesh, Sunny Singh from Jammu & Kashmir, Gurpreet Singh from Punjab, and Sandeep Sahu, Jegta Xess, Santosh Sahu, and Anuj Sahau from Jharkhand. The workers were employed by Jaiprakash Associates, the contracting company responsible for the tunnel project.

State Government Assures Support to the Families

The Telangana government has pledged to provide assistance to the families of the trapped workers. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has already expressed his commitment to offering full support to the families, ensuring they are provided with all necessary aid during this challenging time.