KTR alleges State Government Ignored Warnings Ahead of SLBC Tunnel Disaster

Hyderabad: In a scathing attack on the state government, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President K. Taraka Rama Rao (KTR) has accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his cabinet of disregarding prior warnings about the dangers of the SLBC tunnel site, leading to a catastrophic accident that claimed eight lives. KTR alleged that the government willfully ignored two reports that had classified the site as a ‘Red Zone’ and proceeded with the project purely for financial gains, resulting in a massive loss of public funds.

He said the state cabinet must take full responsibility for both the loss of life and wastage of thousands of crores of public money.

According to KTR, a 2020 survey conducted by Jaiprakash Associates Limited in collaboration with Amberg Tech AG had initially assessed the tunnel site. Subsequently, in 2022, a Tunnel Seismic Prediction (TSP) survey by Amberg Tech AG explicitly identified a fault zone between 13.88 km and 13.91 km of the tunnel, warning of weak rock formations and severe water leakages. KTR emphasized that the recent accident occurred precisely in the zone identified by the report, proving that the government was aware of the risks but chose to ignore them.

Further strengthening his claims, KTR revealed that another geological survey conducted in 2022 by former Director General of the Geological Survey of India, Mandapalli Raju, and Jaiprakash Associates geologist Rituraj Deshmukh had highlighted similar concerns. The report indicated that tunnel construction had commenced without a thorough surface condition assessment, underscoring the negligence of the authorities.

Despite possessing these reports, KTR alleged that the government deliberately withheld the findings and allowed the project to continue, endangering workers' lives in the process. Holding the state cabinet accountable, he demanded an independent judicial inquiry into the disaster under a sitting High Court judge. He also called on the government to release the suppressed reports to the public to ensure transparency and justice for the victims of the tragedy.

However, it is not that the Government was not aware of this report. Jaiprakash Associates told media that had seen the report in 2020. But they refused to further comment on it.