PM Modi inaugurates world’s longest bi-lane Sela tunnel in Arunachal |

Know its strategic importance
PM Modi inaugurates world`s longest bi-lane Sela tunnel in Arunachal | Know its strategic importance
Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh Photograph:( Twitter )
Itanagar | Updated: Mar 10, 2024, 08:28 (IST)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The foundation stone for Sela Tunnel was laid in 2019 by the Prime Minister himself, with an aim to provide all-weather connectivity to the Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the state-of-the-art Sela Tunnel in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday (March 9). The tunnel project, flagged off in Itanagar is part of several development projects launched by the Modi government for the northeastern states of India.

Along with it, he also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth about Rs 55,600 crore in Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.

The foundation stone for the Sela Tunnel was laid in 2019 by the Prime Minister himself, with an aim to provide all-weather connectivity to the Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh. Tawan is situated 448 km northwest of the capital city of Itanagar and is also close to the Chinese border in the northeast.

Sela tunnel is the world’s longest bi-tunnel, situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet, which consists of two tunnels and a link road.

Here is more on the newly inaugurated Sela tunnel:

Location and cost
Constructed at a total expense of ₹825 crore under the auspices of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), this tunnel is located at an elevation of 13,700 feet within the West Kameng district. It lies along the route linking Tezpur to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Sela is also the country’s highest tunnel providing all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang region and other forward areas bordering China near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

An engineering marvel
This project marks the construction of the world’s longest twin-lane tunnel at an altitude surpassing 13,000 feet. It consists of Tunnel 1, stretching 980 meters as a single tube tunnel, and Tunnel 2, spanning 1,555 meters as a twin tube tunnel.

The PMO called this project an engineering marvel in its official statement. It will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang across the Sela pass on the Balipara -Chariduar- Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh. The tunnel was built using the new Austrian Tunnelling Method and incorporating safety features of the highest standards.

Strategic significance
The tunnel was flagged off during PM Modi’s address on the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Northeast’ (Developed India, Developed Northeast) programme in Itanagar. During the address, the PM reiterated the government’s commitment to making Northeast the growth engine of India.

Previously, Arunachal Pradesh’s lack of roads and railways posed a disadvantage for India compared to China along the northeastern border. China’s infrastructure development, including access roads to the Indian border, provided a strategic advantage.

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However, in recent years, the Union government under PM Modi has enhanced infrastructure connectivity in the northeast, with new airports and railways being constructed in the region. Projects like the Sela Tunnel hold strategic importance in this regard.

The project ensures year-round connectivity to the Tawang region, an area contested by China, which claims it as part of its historical territory. Previously, the Sela Pass remained closed during winter months. However, the project introduces a new route towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC), facilitating the continuous flow of military personnel and equipment movement.

(With inputs from agencies)

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