Hyderabad: The ordeal of the family members of the eight workers trapped in the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) tunnel continues with no end in sight. For the past five days, the loved ones of the missing workers have been living in a state of uncertainty, desperately waiting for updates from the state govt. Most of the trapped workers are young men from Jharkhand and sole breadwinners for their families.
They arrived at Domalapenta in Nagarkurnool district on Feb 24 morning at around 3 am and have since been anxiously waiting for the return of the trapped workers. The families of four missing workers from Jharkhand were accommodated in a private hotel at Mannanur, located about 50 kilometres from the SLBC tunnel site. Every day, they travel to the site, hopeful of hearing any word of their loved ones, only to return to their rooms in despair, still awaiting an update from the officials. The families of the remaining four workers, including two from Uttar Pradesh, are lodged at a different location.
Despite the agonising wait, the poor families continue to hold on to the hope that their loved ones could still be alive. They have been relying on Avinash, a coordinator from the District Mineral Foundation Trust (DMFT), which works on development in mining-affected areas, to provide them with any information. Avinash has been staying with the families for the past three days, offering support and relaying updates when available.
Pavan Sahu, brother-in-law of Santosh Sahu, one of the trapped workers, spoke about his family's plight. "Santosh Sahu is the only breadwinner in his family. He has three children, wife, and elderly parents who depend on his earnings," Pavan Sahu told TOI over the phone from Mannanur on Wednesday. "We pray every day that he's still alive and that the rescue team will bring him back to us," he said.
Apart from Santosh Sahu, 38, Sandeep Sahu, 28, Anuj Sahu, 25, and Jagat Heerani are also among the missing. Along with Pavan Sahu, Sandeep Sahu's father Jeethu Sahu, Jagat Hirani's relative Jithuram, and Anuj Sahu's father Rampratap Sahu arrived at the site. All the four missing workers hail from Gumla district in Jharkhand.
Jeethu Sahu said his son got into the work along with other workers from the village. "We pray to god that he comes back. I have been receiving calls from family members back home, asking about his fate every day. We still have no idea what's going on," Jeethu said.
Jeethu first learned of his son's disappearance on Feb 22, the day of the incident, through villagers back home. In response, he immediately travelled to Domalapenta, with his other son, who works as a labourer in Vijayawada, joining him upon hearing the tragic news.
"We are in constant touch with the district magistrate and other officials to get updates on the rescue operations," Avinash added, offering a glimmer of hope amid the waiting.