SLBC Reaches a Crucial Stage in Tunnel Works – Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy

Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel project has made significant progress after overcoming difficult underground conditions. He said the tunnelling teams had crossed the weak rock shear zone in the area where the earlier accident occurred, paving the way for faster work. During a review meeting on irrigation projects in the erstwhile Nalgonda district, Uttam directed officials to prepare a clear action plan to provide more than 30 TMC of water to the upland areas by June 2028. He also stressed that worker safety should remain a top priority.

The project team informed the minister that tunnelling had advanced by around 700 metres over the past five to six months, with about 450 metres completed from the outlet side and 250 metres from the inlet side. Of the 43.968-km main tunnel, around 79% of the work has reportedly been completed, with about 9.1 km of excavation remaining. Work is currently progressing at an average of around eight metres a day from both sides. Additional drilling equipment and a locomotive are expected to improve debris removal, while lining work on the 7.1-km Tunnel-2 has also resumed after a long gap.