8 laborers were trapped due to collapse of a part of the roof of the under -construction tunnel at Srisailam, Telangana. In the last few years, there has been an increase in the number of such accidents. The development of infrastructure in India has gained momentum in the last few years. Projects like roads, railways and tunnel have gained momentum. In recent years, after the incident of tunnel collapse in the Silkyara-Barkot tunnel accident of Uttarakhand to Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, questions have started to arise that why the number of such incidents in India is increasing? The questions are arising whether these are just the result of human negligence or are geographical challenges playing a big role in it?
Why are accidents happening?
In the last nearly a decade, there have been fast work in this region in India. But tunnel construction is a complex process, requiring a detailed geo-technical survey and accurate design. But in many cases it has been seen that these aspects are ignored in the detailed project report (DPR) of the project.
In the Silkyara tunnel accident, it was revealed that the mountain was described as a solid rock in the DPR, but during the excavation it came out. Experts say that if the correct land technical survey had been done in the beginning, then such situation could have been avoided.
- Hurry and negligence in construction: The pressure to complete the infrastructure projects on time in India is often heavy on quality. Contractors and construction companies ignore the safety standards required to complete the time limit. For example, steel support and concrete lining work is left incomplete to strengthen the tunnel walls. In the incident of Jammu and Kashmir, investigation revealed that the support system in that part of the tunnel was not fully prepared, due to which there was a collapse.
- Ignoring security standard: Independent monitoring system is necessary to ensure adherence to safety standards in tunnel projects. But many times in India, it has been seen that government agencies and private firms together ignore these standards. Many times it is also considered responsible for such accidents.
The most important factor: geographical cause
India’s geographical structure has been presenting a major challenge for tunnel construction. Especially the Himalayan region, where most of the tunnel projects are running, is known for its sensitive and unstable land structure. It is important to understand these geographical causes, because they are a big factor behind accidents. The Himalayas are a young mountain range, which is still passing through geological movements. This means that rocks and soils in the region are going through a continuous change. States like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir are often found to be bright rocks, fault lines and water sources during tunnel construction.
However, this factor cannot be held responsible for the Telangana incident. The area of ​​Telangana is not considered a weak rock area like the region of the Himalayas.
How do the countries of the world dig tunnels in a safe manner?
Developed countries such as Switzerland, Japan and Norway conduct intensive geology of the area before the tunnel construction. This includes the strength of rocks, groundwater levels, fault lines and assessment of seismic risks. For example, Switzerland’s Gotted Base Tunnel (the world’s longest rail tunnel, 57 km) was collected for many years before creating a geographical data, many times such incidents occur in India due to negligence.
Workers are trapped for 24 hours
The rescue operation has been continuously continuously for more than 24 hours to evacuate eight people trapped inside the under construction part of the Srisailam Tunnel Canal Project in Nagarakurranul district of Telangana. The help of drones is also being taken to help the people running relief and rescue operations inside the tunnel. The rescue team inspected the collapsed part of the Srisalam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and also tried to go inside. But due to the debris, there is no success in going to the other and further strategy is being prepared.
Telangana irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said that the state government is taking the help of experts, including people who save the workers trapped in a similar incident in Uttarakhand last year. He said that apart from this, the government is also taking help of the Army and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
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Telangana tunnel accident: Jharkhand Chief Minister offers help, urges CM Reddy to save workers
(Tagstotranslate) Tunnel collaps in telangana
