Telangana Resumes SLBC Tunnel Works, Sets December 2027 Deadline

Chief Minister of Telangana State A. Revanth Reddy has given a deadline of December 9, 2027, to complete the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) Tunnel Project, which has been stalling due to repeated setbacks and has recently.

At a review meeting attended by the Chief Minister, he directed officials to draw up a detailed action plan with quarterly goals that would ensure completion on time. Chief Secretary K. Ramakrishna Rao has instructed to convene a cabinet meeting before September 15 to get approvals and restart construction.

Describing the SLBC tunnel as the “lifeline” for the fluoride-affected Nalgonda district and important for Telangana, Reddy said the project must be completed with world-class technical expertise and strict safety norms. He assured that funding would be released through a “Green Channel” mechanism to avoid financial hurdles.

The government would speed up excavation simultaneously from both ends of the tunnel for faster accomplishment. Help from the Army’s engineering corps would be taken along with retired Engineer-in-Chief Lt Gen Harpal Singh and Colonel Pariskhit Mehra. Mehra briefed that out of the 44 km tunnel, 35 km has been completed so far. The remaining 9 km would require advanced machinery, with a target of 178 meters to be achieved per month.

A heli-borne survey has also been planned by NGRI to map out geological hazards and unstable rock formations.

The emergency follows the collapse of one stretch of the under-construction tunnel at Nagarkurnool district on February 22, 2025. It was caused due to a sudden surge of water and slush, trapping eight workers and engineers. Two bodies have been recovered, but six still lie stranded. Rescue operations continue to face the severe challenge of unstable geology and seeped water.

An incident has happened where tragedy has caused huge political criticism. Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K. T. Rama Rao blames the Congress government for negligence and being late in their rescue efforts. Rao started this discussion via social media, where he compared BRS with 203 kilometers of tunnels all built without such incidents in the Kaleshwaram project and demanded a judicial probe along with an apology to the victims’ families.