In the aftermath of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel collapse in Telangana's Nagarkurnool district, Telangana Tourism Minister Jupally Krishna Rao today said that the incident was neither due to human error nor governmental negligence, and attributed the collapse to an unforeseen accumulation of soil and water within the tunnel, which had also hindered rescue operations.
Addressing the media, the minister said that rescue teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and the Army were actively engaged in efforts to save the individuals trapped inside the tunnel.
He added that the dewatering process had accelerated the rescue operations, and that alternative measures were also being implemented to ensure the safe evacuation of those affected.
He criticised the opposition parties, particularly the BRS and the BJP, for "launching accusations" against the State government during this challenging period. He said that the government was promptly notified following the incident and that Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy and he himself had rushed to the site immediately and were closely monitoring the ongoing rescue efforts, and that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy too was constantly assessing the situation.
He said that in contrast BRS leaders K T Rama Rao and T Harish Rao were only criticising the State government's handling of the incident.
For context, the SLBC tunnel collapse has resulted in several workers being trapped, prompting a coordinated response from multiple agencies to ensure their safe evacuation. The opposition leaders have alleged that the collapse reflected negligence and misgovernance, and have cited a series of infrastructure failures including a recent retaining wall collapse at Sunkishala. BRS leader Harish Rao demanded an immediate investigation by the National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) into the SLBC tunnel collapse.