Hyderabad: In the wake of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) roof collapse, which resulted in one fatality and seven missing persons, NR Acharyulu, an expert in tunnelling and former independent director of HCC Ltd, urged Union minister for road transport and highways, Nitin Gadkari, to form an inter-ministerial panel.
The panel should include ministers from irrigation, infrastructure, power, fuel, and representatives from tunnel projects, Acharyulu said, and also mentioned that an ‘incentive-cum-penalty package’ is being prepared and will soon be submitted to the govt.
In his letter to Gadkari, Acharyulu, who had overseen the Chamera Hydroelectric Project in challenging surroundings, revealed that an action plan is being developed with the Bureau of Indian Standards and the Institution of Engineers. He emphasised that engineers and crew members working on tunnel projects need training to comply with industry codes.
“It is sad that the collapse of SLBC is being camouflaged as a natural disaster, hiding the human lapses involved,” Acharyulu said. “Tunnel collapse incidents are largely man-made due to negligence, poor project reports, flawed land surveys, and failure to follow proper procedures.”
Acharyulu pointed out that there have been 21 tunnel collapse incidents in India in the past four to five years. The main reasons include unqualified geologists, improper methods for rock handling, lack of geological data maintenance, and insufficient technical audits of rock classifications.
He compared tunnel projects to high-cost aviation projects, saying, “The govt adopts zero tolerance for an Airbus 320, costing over Rs 800 crore, but for tunnel projects worth up to Rs 3,000 crore, there’s no such approach.”
Acharyulu called for strict adherence to codes, with incentives for contractors who complete projects safely and penalties for negligence.
