SLBC tunnel rescue teams using robotic services

A high-level review meeting on the SLBC tunnel rescue operation was held on Wednesday by the Special Chief Secretary for Disaster Management, Arvind Kumar, along with Nagar Kurnool Collector Badavath Santosh and senior officials. The meeting assessed the progress of the rescue operations and analysed operations department-wise.
During the review meeting, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Colonel Parikshit Mehra displayed a tunnel-boring machine model to explain the rescue attempt inside the tunnel.
Officials were told that debris removal from the tunnel boring machine’s final section had been completed and that rescue teams were trying to clear the rubble.
Ground Penetrating Radar identified surface disturbances and excavation is being expedited in those areas, he said.
Officials reported that dewatering operations were progressing rapidly, and water jet technology was being used on the left side of the tunnel to remove sludge.
Rescue teams are intensifying their attempts using robotic services provided by the Hyderabad-based NV Robotics, while representatives from the Delhi-based National Centre for Seismology (NCS) also took part in the rescue ops.
SDRF teams were using water jets to clear accumulated mud from the trapped tunnel boring machine, with live demonstrations displaying the method. The conveyor belt system had been restored, and commissioning work was underway to ensure seamless operations. Officials confirmed that challenges in the rescue process were  being systematically addressed, speeding up the operation. Ventilation and lighting systems inside the tunnel had also been extended to facilitate the ongoing efforts.
The meeting was attended by Fire Services Director General Nagireddy, TSSPDCL CMD Musharraf Ali, District SP Vaibhav Gaikwad Raghunath, Colonel Parikshit Mehra, NDRF officer Prasanna, HYDRAA representatives, SCCL Mines Rescue, SDRF, Fire Services and the South Central Railway, along with plasma cutter experts, rat miners and geologists from the Geological Survey of India.