The collapse of the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel and the more than week-long operation to rescue eight trapped persons has heated up politics in Telangana. Both BRS and BJP attacked the ruling Congress and blamed it for the tragedy. The incident also sparked a fresh debate on the irrigation projects, with both Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress blaming each other for the inefficient handling of the irrigation sector. The Congress government, which completed one year in office in December 2024, found itself on the back foot with the opposition parties taking it to task for what they called endangering human lives by undertaking the project without proper planning. The delay in the rescue of trapped persons due to the complex nature of the incident 14 kilometers into the under-construction tunnel further exposed the government to criticism by the opposition. The Chief Minister vowed to complete the SLBC tunnel project despite obstacles. The project is aimed at irrigating about four lakh acres of agricultural land in Nalgonda district.
