HYDERABAD: They are at home underground, in tunnels, working under very tough and challenging conditions and environments. And they, around 250 specially trained rescue workers from the Telangana government-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), ever since they joined the rescue efforts inside the collapsed SLBC tunnel in Nagarkurnool district, have made their every minute count.“Their presence has been nothing short of a force multiplier,” a senior government official at the tunnel site said.Be it evaluating the conditions inside and providing critical and valuable guidance to the rest of the rescuers from various teams, to on Tuesday, restoring the much-needed conveyor belt system to carry silt and rocks from deep inside the tunnel to the outside, and pave way for the final push in the search for eight missing workers feared to be buried under tons of water-laden silt and rocks, and parts of the tunnel boring machine, the SCCL rescue workers team, have made their mark in the ongoing operations.“A team of six specialists, two engineers and four assistants have been working on the conveyor belt. They carried four lorries worth of equipment and material with them for this task,” a SCCL official told Deccan Chronicle.In addition to restoring the conveyor belt, keeping the dewatering pumps going, and guiding others on how to safely tackle the debris, the SCCL team has also been keeping everyone going into the tunnel, shift after shift round the clock, safe in other ways.“Our rescue team is constantly monitoring the oxygen levels, checking for any hazardous gases, and also repairing the ventilation system,” a SCCL official said.The company, which has deployed more than half of its specialists out of its total 450-member strong rescue battalion, is now planning to send replacements. “Those who have been working need to be relieved and tomorrow, we are sending around 100 rescuers. This will be followed by smaller batches so those already at the tunnel and working for more than a week now, will get a breather,” the official said.
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