Nagarkurnool: Cadaver dogs will be deployed inside the partially collapsed Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel on Sunday to search for human presence, as the rescue operation to save eight trapped persons entered its 16th day.

The dogs joined the rescue efforts on March 7 and were taken inside the tunnel.

Specially trained canines to assist rescue teams

The canines, trained to detect human remains, will be taken into the tunnel again on Sunday.

“The canines, specially trained to detect human remains, would be taken into the tunnel on Sunday,” a police official said.

Rescue teams will dig beyond five feet at two points identified by Human Remains Detection Dogs (HRDDs), as workers may be trapped in the second layer of the dismantled tunnel boring machine (TBM), according to a senior official on Saturday.

The Kerala police’s Belgian Malinois breed dogs, known for their ability to detect scent from a depth of up to 15 feet, are aiding the search.

Robots to be deployed

The Telangana government has decided to deploy robots for the rescue operation from March 11 to ensure the safety of rescue personnel. The difficult conditions inside the tunnel, including water and slush, pose significant risks.

The Geological Survey of India (GSI) has submitted an initial report, cautioning that rescue operations should be carried out with extreme care in the last 70 metres at the accident site, an official said. As fragments of the massive TBM remain submerged under water, soil, and stones inside the tunnel, they have created a significant hazard for the rescue team.

The rescue operation has continued amid severe challenges, including muck and water seepage.

Eight persons—engineers and labourers—have been trapped in the SLBC project tunnel since February 22. Experts from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indian Army, Navy, and other agencies are making relentless efforts to bring them to safety.

PTI