Hyderabad: The state govt will complete the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnelling works by June 2028, irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said. He stated that the govt was taking all necessary safety measures for the workforce engaged in the tunnel works and said that speed never should come at the cost of the safety.At a review meeting on the SLBC tunnel works and other irrigation projects in Nalgonda district, the minister said the SLBC project was not merely an engineering exercise but the fulfilment of a long-pending promise to the drought-hit and fluoride-affected people of south Telangana.He said the govt would clear bottlenecks, resolve land acquisition issues, strengthen technical supervision and ensure that the SLBC tunnel and canal network are completed simultaneously. Since the resumption of the SLBC tunnel works using advanced technologies and modern observation techniques, nearly half a km of tunneling has already been completed. Work from the Devarkonda side is progressing steadily. All precautions are being taken to ensure safety of the teams working on the Srisailam side as well, he said.The minister said three arm boomers had already reached Mumbai port and would arrive at the project site by the end of the month, further accelerating the progress. “The govt is committed to completing the SLBC tunnel by June 2028. Whatever needs to be done will be done,” he told officials.
