SYNOPSIS

India has witnessed significant progress in tunnel development in recent decades, but this has also been accompanied by serious challenges, including tunnel collapses. This talk will focus on two recent and high-profile incidents: the Silkyara tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand (November 2023), which trapped 41 workers for 17 days, and the SLBC tunnel collapse in Telangana (February 2025), where 8 workers were trapped underground.

While the presentation will touch upon the unfolding of events and the mitigation efforts, the primary aim is to reflect on key lessons emerging from these crises. The session will offer valuable takeaways for tunnelling professionals, engineers, and infrastructure planners.


BIODATA OF SPEAKER

Dr Manoj Verman

Dr Manoj Verman is a leading expert in tunnelling & rock engineering with decades of experience in slope stability, tunnelling, and underground excavation. He has served as Vice President of the International Society for Rock Mechanics (ISRM) and President of the Indian National Group of ISRM, and currently sits on ISRM’s International Advisory Forum.

Widely regarded for his long-standing contributions to the tunnelling industry, Dr Verman is often referred to as “The Tunnel Man of India”. This title reflects his deep commitment to knowledge sharing through technical leadership, training programmes, and platforms he has founded — such as TunnelFem, TunnelTech, and Tunnel Times India, India’s first digital magazine dedicated to tunnelling and underground construction.

As a consultant and trainer, he has supported several high-impact infrastructure projects across India and beyond, and actively promotes the use of cutting-edge geotechnical software in tunnel and slope engineering.

Dr Verman’s teaching style combines real-world insights with practical engineering principles, offering participants a valuable perspective on both challenges and solutions in modern underground construction.