SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 5: A three-day international discussion on “Tunnelling Advancements in Difficult Grounds: Numerical Modelling and Machine Learning Approach (TUN-AID 2025)” began at IIT (ISM) Dhanbad. The event is being jointly organized by the Department of Mining Engineering and the Indian Geotechnical Society (IGS), Dhanbad Chapter.
Dr. Manoj Verman, Rocscience Representative (India & South Asia) and President of the ISRM Commission on Hard Rock Excavation, attended the inaugural session as the chief guest. Dr. A. P. Singh, Secretary of IGS, was the guest of honour. Both experts shared valuable insights on emerging research and industrial practices in tunnelling through complex geological conditions.
Also Read- Dry and crisp weather to continue over Jharkhand
Event Leadership and Objectives
The discussion is being held under the patronage of Prof. Sukumar Mishra, Director of IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, and was presided over by Deputy Director Prof. Dheeraj Kumar.
Prof. B. S. Choudhary, Head of the Department of Mining Engineering and Chairman of TUN-AID 2025, along with Prof. Sarat Das, Secretary of the IGS Dhanbad Chapter, also addressed the gathering. They emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration and the adoption of advanced computational approaches in modern tunnelling.
The inaugural session was coordinated by Prof. Swapnil Mishra (Convener), Prof. Gopi Krishna (Co-Convener), and student coordinators Jyoti Jagajjita Raj, Susmit Mantayya Swami, and Ashwani Kumar.
Expert Sessions and Global Participation
According to the organizers, the next two days of the event will feature expert sessions, interactive discussions, and technical presentations. International speakers, including Dr. Bineshian Hoss from Australia and Prof. Kim Byungmin from South Korea, will address participants in hybrid mode.
Other eminent speakers include Dr. Mainak Ghosh Roy (NHPC), Dr. Priyanka Bhartiya (COWI), Dr. Anshul Sindhwani (L&T), Rohan Pawade (L&T), Sharada Niphade (L&T), Vishal Bansal (NHAI), and Chiranjib Sarkar (Geoconsult).
Also Read- MPWs to gherao Jharkhand Health Minister’s residence on Nov 11
Advancing Underground Engineering Through Innovation
Highlighting the objective of the event, the organizers stated that TUN-AID 2025 aims to integrate numerical modelling and machine learning techniques into tunnelling and underground engineering. “The conference seeks to foster innovation, collaboration, and capacity building among students, researchers, and professionals — marking a major step toward advancing underground construction technology in India,” they said.
