According to the officials, the ambitious Versatile Time-Domain Electromagnetic (VTEM) survey by the National Geophysical Research Institute (NGRI) in the Nallamalla forest area in Telangana has produced important geological information that might contribute significantly to the stalled project at this Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC).
This was revealed at a high level review meeting with scientists at NGRI presenting the findings of the airborne survey to the state irrigation minister N. Uttam Kumar Reddy on Sunday. The meeting was concerned with the potential re-opening of the construction activity on the SLBC tunnel which was halted after a tragic accident on February 22, 2025, which took the lives of eight people, two of whom were project engineers.
The VITM survey has given rich information about the fault lines and shear zones of the area of the tunnel alignment, according to the reports of the officials with the information. The findings are promising and provide useful geological contributions. The data will assist the engineers in determining the type of tunnel support system that will be necessary to maintain safety as well as identify the potentially unsafe areas beforehand.
Based on a Canadian company, Geotech, the VTEM survey was launched on November 3, 2025, in Mannevaripalli village of Achampet block by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy. The technology entails the suspension of a large electromagnetic transmitter loop 100-150 feet under a helicopter which transmits pulses into the earth. The reflected signals are then picked up by sensors to chart the features of the surroundings below the earth like rock formations and faultlines, the movement of water and mineral composition up to a depth of about 1,000 metres.
Scientists of NGRI allegedly informed the minister that the aerial surveying and high-tech geophysical analysis would provide a complete picture of the conditions under the ground and enable preventing future accidents. After the presentation, Uttam Kumar Reddy demanded twenty-four hour working on the SLBC tunnel project with the strict following of the safety measures and mobilization of the necessary machines as soon as possible before the construction process will start again.
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