What's special about the newly-inaugurated Sela Tunnel in Arunachal?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel project, a vital infrastructure development in Arunachal Pradesh, on Saturday during his visit to the state. The inauguration ceremony occurred at around 10:30am in Arunachal's Itanagar, with PM Modi also participating in the "Viksit Bharat Viksit North East" program. Here is all you need to know about Sela Tunnel—the world's longest twin-lane tunnel!
Details on Rs. 825 crore Sela Tunnel project
The Sela Tunnel project, which consists of two tunnels and a connecting road, has been built at an estimated cost of around Rs. 825 crore by the Border Road Organisation (BRO). Located at an altitude of 13,000 feet on the Tezpur-Tawang road, the double-lane tunnel project will reportedly reduce travel time between Tezpur and Tawang by more than an hour.
Construction milestones and tunnel specifications
The project features Tunnel 1, a single-tube structure measuring 980 meters, and Tunnel 2, which spans 1,555 meters with one bi-lane tube for traffic and another for emergency services. Meanwhile, a 1,200-meter-long road connects both the tunnels. Significant construction milestones for the Sela Tunnel project include the inaugural blast for Tunnel 1 in January 2021 and its final blast in January 2022. A breakthrough blast for Tunnel 2 was successfully completed in October 2021.
Importance of the tunnel
The project aims to provide all-weather connectivity to the Tawang region, which China has long contested as part of its ancient territory. It will also make it easier for military personnel and equipment to move to areas close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) throughout the year. To recall, it was in 1962 when China launched a surprise attack on Arunachal Pradesh, with the People's Liberation Army (PLA) capturing Tawang.
Entire Northeast is witness to 'Modi Ki Guarantee': PM
Addressing a gathering in Itanagar on the occasion, PM Modi lauded the Bharatiya Janata Party-led central government's work in the Northeast. "You must have heard of 'Modi Ki Guarantee'. You will realize its meaning once you reach Arunachal," the PM said. "The entire Northeast is a witness to this. I laid the foundation of the Sela Tunnel here in 2019, and today it has been inaugurated," he added.
PM launched Rs. 10,000cr worth UNNATI scheme in Arunachal
Aside from the Sela Tunnel project, the prime minister also launched the Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialization (UNNATI) scheme, worth nearly Rs. 10,000 crore, during his visit to the state on Saturday. Moreover, PM Modi also inaugurated, dedicated, and laid the foundation stones of several development projects worth Rs. 55,600 crore in Arunachal, Nagaland, Manipur, Sikkim, Tripura, and Meghalaya.