Hyderabad: Telangana Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy has held the previous BRS government responsible for the collapse of the SLBC tunnel, stating that the mishap could have been prevented had the former administration undertaken water removal works. While overseeing rescue operations at the site, he assured that the efforts would be completed within two days.
The minister announced that tunnel excavation would resume in two months. He criticized the previous government for sidelining the gravity-based 30 TMC water project, emphasizing that had the tunnel been completed, it could have irrigated 4.50 lakh acres. He further alleged that BRS projects were driven by financial interests, pointing out that despite an expenditure of ₹1 lakh crore on the Kaleshwaram project, it failed within three years.
Uttam Kumar Reddy also accused former Chief Minister KCR of failing to visit multiple past accident sites, including the Srisailam power plant fire, the Palamuru pump house incident, the Kondagattu bus accident, and the Masayipet train tragedy, which collectively claimed several lives.
In contrast, he alleged that BRS leader Harish Rao visited the SLBC accident site only for political mileage. Questioning Harish Rao’s tenure, he asked why key projects remained incomplete even after a decade. He clarified that access to the tunnel was restricted to ensure expert operations were not disrupted and confirmed that sludge removal work was in progress.