Heli-borne Electromagnetic Survey to Revive Telangana's SLBC Tunnel Project

The Telangana government is set to launch a helicopter-borne Versatile Time-Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) Plus Magnetic Geophysical Survey on Monday to resume work on the SLBC tunnel project. The project was halted earlier this year when a collapse resulted in eight fatalities.

Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy will oversee the operations in Nagarkurnool district. Conducted by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI), the survey will cover a 200-km stretch to map geological formations using electromagnetic signals.

The initiative is part of the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project, aiming to provide irrigation to Nalgonda's drought-prone areas and supply drinking water to fluoride-affected villages, drawing from Krishna river's resources to complete the tunnel construction by 2028.