Hyderabad: Telangana Irrigation Minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Monday reaffirmed the government’s commitment to complete the SLBC tunnel project by June 2028 while maintaining the highest safety standards for workers.
Chairing a high-level review meeting on the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Srisailam Left Bank Canal Project at the Secretariat, the Minister said the project would fulfil a long-pending promise to the drought-prone and fluoride-affected regions of south Telangana.
He said the government would remove bottlenecks, resolve land acquisition issues and strengthen technical supervision to speed up construction. Moreover, engineers had achieved nearly half a kilometre of tunnel excavation after resuming work with advanced technology and modern monitoring systems.
The Minister said construction from the Devarkonda side was progressing steadily. Meanwhile, officials had implemented comprehensive safety measures for workers engaged on the Srisailam side of the tunnel.
New equipment to accelerate SLBC tunnel project
Uttam Kumar Reddy said three arm boomers had reached Mumbai port and would arrive at the project site by the end of the month. Consequently, the new machinery is expected to accelerate excavation and improve construction efficiency.
He said the tunnel would draw 40 TMC of water from the Srisailam Reservoir to irrigate nearly four lakh acres. In addition, the revised administrative approval for the integrated project stands at approximately ₹12,718 crore.
According to the Minister, the project will create irrigation potential for 4.01 lakh acres. It will also provide drinking water to 618 fluoride-affected villages and meet industrial and other water requirements across the region.
Furthermore, Uttam Kumar Reddy directed officials to adhere to clearly defined timelines. He instructed them to execute Tunnel-I, Tunnel-II, the Dindi component, balancing reservoirs and the canal network as one integrated project. He said coordinated execution would ensure timely completion and maximise irrigation benefits.
The Minister reiterated that the government remains focused on completing the project within the target date while ensuring worker safety, improving water security and boosting agricultural development in Telangana.
