Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Water blight: On the Srisailam tunnel cave-in

Water blight: On the Srisailam tunnel cave-in

Scientific risk assessment (आकलन, मूल्यांकन) prior to undertaking tunnel work is a must

Barely a week after the remains of nine coal miners were recovered at the end of a 44-day operation, from a coal mine that had flooded in Assam in early January, a disaster of similar contours, this time in Nagarkurnool, Telangana, is in the making. A portion of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal tunnel, which is under construction, collapsed (गिरावट, पतन) on February 22, 2025 leaving eight workers trapped. What is known so far is that a three-metre section of the roof collapsed due to water seepage (रिसाव). The roof collapse eventually led to the tunnel crumbling (बिखरना, टूटकर गिरना) over a stretch of eight metres. Despite nine specialised rescue teams, drawn from the Centre and the State governments, working round-the-clock, no significant progress has been made so far on ascertaining the condition of the workers and in devising an optimal rescue plan. So far, the playbook that is being experimented with seems to be inspired by the successful rescue work in the Silkyara Tunnel collapse in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, in November 2023, where a portion of the four -kilometre-long tunnel that was being constructed collapsed, stranding 41 workers. It took a 16-day operation that started out with a variety of approaches, including drilling horizontally, and later on vertically, from both ends of the tunnel to reach the stranded workers. In the end, key breakthroughs (A sudden, important discovery or development) were achieved by a team of ‘rat hole’ miners from Assam, who use manual excavation (उत्खनन, खुदाई) methods that are considered hazardous and deemed illegal.

The key difference between the Silkyara episode and the one in Srisailam is the presence of water. There were 70 workers in the tunnel when a deluge of water and muck suddenly began to gush inside. Barring the eight, the rest escaped, with 13 of them sustaining injuries. However, in the subsequent days, it is the torrential flow that has proved to be a barrier to rescue operations. The history of tunnel-linked disasters globally shows that while rare, they can often be catastrophic. A large proportion of these accidents, studies show, are due to a rupture (A sudden breaking or bursting) in aquifers (underground water channels). It is to determine such risks that extensive (व्यापक, विस्तृत) studies are commissioned to understand the sub-surface geology of a site. A report by the Uttarakhand disaster management authority on the Silkyara episode says that there was insufficient analysis of the rock formations at Silkyara but also that a complete picture of structural deformities (विकृति, कुरूपता) cannot be known before tunnelling. While the rescue of the trapped personnel at the Srisailam tunnel is paramount (सर्वोपरि, अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण), there has to be a proper investigation by the authorities on the reasons for the collapse and action taken, if evidence emerges of tardy (देर से, सुस्त) pre-tunnelling analysis.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Blight (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विनाश, क्षति
English Meaning - A thing that spoils or damages something.

2.Assessment (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - आकलन, मूल्यांकन
English Meaning - The process of evaluating or judging something.

3.Collapse (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - गिरावट, पतन
English Meaning - A sudden failure or breakdown.

4.Seepage (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - रिसाव
English Meaning - The slow escape of a liquid or gas through porous material.

5.Crumble (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - बिखरना, टूटकर गिरना
English Meaning - To break into small pieces.

6.Excavation (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - उत्खनन, खुदाई
English Meaning - The process of digging up and removing earth to find something.

7.Extensive (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - व्यापक, विस्तृत
English Meaning - Covering a large area or amount.

8.Deformity (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - विकृति, कुरूपता
English Meaning - A physical flaw or abnormality.

9.Tardy (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - देर से, सुस्त
English Meaning - Late or slow in action.

10.Paramount (Adjective)

Hindi Meaning - सर्वोपरि, अत्यंत महत्वपूर्ण
English Meaning - More important than anything else.

11.Breakthrough (Noun)

English Meaning - A sudden, important discovery or development.

12.Rupture (Noun)

English Meaning - A sudden breaking or bursting.