Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel, the world’s longest twin-lane tunnel, in Arunachal Pradesh on 9th March where he is slated to spend the day. Constructed at an expense of Rs 825 crore by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the tunnel is located at a height of 13,700 feet in the West Kameng district on the road that links Tezpur and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
#WATCH | Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurates the Sela Tunnel. pic.twitter.com/hSeI30lhqk
— ANI (@ANI) March 9, 2024
“You must have heard of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’ (Modi’s guarantee). You will understand its significance once you visit Arunachal. The entire Northeast bears witness to this. I laid the foundation of the Sela Tunnel here in 2019, and today it has been inaugurated,” the prime minister declared following the inauguration. It is the nation’s highest tunnel, among other things, and offers all-weather communication to the Tawang region, which is strategically important, and other forward locations that border China close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Sela Tunnel Project update from Arunachal Pradesh.
— Infra News India (INI) (@TheINIofficial) March 8, 2024
Hon'ble PM @narendramodi will be inaugurating the magnificent Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh tomorrow.
This magnificent tunnel, constructed at an altitude of 13,000 ft by the BRO will provide all-weather connectivity to the… pic.twitter.com/6Ne3H5bY1J
Additionally, the tunnel will shorten the drive time from Tezpur to Tawang by more than an hour. A statement from the Prime Minister’s office stated that travellers would be able to bypass the treacherous Sela peak, which is 13,700 feet high and covered in snow. The tunnel, which is close to Sela Pass, was necessary because snowfall and landslides brought on by intense rains forced the Balipara-Charidwar-Tawang Road to stay blocked for a significant portion of the year. It is believed that the project will advance both the socio-economic growth of the area and the nation’s defence capability.
The project is the longest twin-lane tunnel in the world to be constructed above 13,000 feet in altitude. It consists of two tunnels, Tunnel 1, a single-tube tunnel of 1,003 meters, and Tunnel 2, a twin-tube tunnel measuring 1595 meters. There is one escape tube for emergencies and one bi-lane tube for traffic in Tunnel 2. T2, the longer tube, spanning 1,594.90 meters, is accompanied by a narrower, parallel tunnel measuring 1,584.38 meters in length, designed to facilitate escape in case of a cave-in.
Additionally, it entails building a 1.3-kilometre connection road to connect Tunnel 1 to Tunnel 2 as well as a seven-kilometre access road to Tunnel 1, which begins at Balipara-Chardwar-Tawang (BCT) Road. The project also includes two roads measuring 8.6 kilometres. The tunnel has been designed for a traffic density of 3,000 cars and 2,000 trucks per day, with a maximum speed of 80 kmph.
According to a Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) statement, it is an engineering marvel that would allow access to Tawang through the Sela pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh in any weather conditions. The tunnel was built with the most advanced safety measures and the recently developed Austrian Tunnelling Method. The statement mentioned, “The project will not only provide a faster and more efficient transport route in the region but is of strategic importance to the country.” The tunnel will be a lifeline as it will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang.
One of India’s clear disadvantages over China along the northeast frontier was the absence of motorable roads and rail connections in Arunachal Pradesh. Additionally, experts noted that China gained a strategic edge from building access roads and other infrastructure all the way to the Indian border.
This move guarantees the quick deployment of soldiers and heavy armament, including artillery guns, from 4 Corps headquarters in the Assam plains to Tawang, ensuring the prompt handling of any emergency scenarios. This tunnel will save travellers around ninety minutes of travel time in each direction by reducing the distance between Tawang and Dirang in the West Kameng region of Arunachal Pradesh by twelve kilometres.
The northeast now has better infrastructural connectivity owing to new airports and train connections that have been built in the last few years under the leadership of PM Modi’s Union government. One such project that is crucial from a strategic standpoint is the Sela Tunnel.
The project enables all-weather access to the Tawang region, which China claims to be its ancient territory. The Sela Pass has historically been closed during a few winter months. However, the project will offer a fresh alignment on the axis heading towards the LAC, guaranteeing the smooth passage of military troops and equipment all year round.
The path leads through Sela, a mountain pass tucked away in Arunachal Pradesh at a height of almost 14,000 feet, and is the location of recent skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops. This area has extremely harsh weather, with temperatures as low as -20 degrees Celsius that cause diesel to freeze and severe snowfall that makes movement impossible. The Indian Army will now have a key link between Tawang and Guwahati, Assam, due to the building of the all-weather Sela Tunnel, which will provide continuous connectivity year-round.
On 9th February 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi placed the project’s foundation stone, however, its completion was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The excavation operations on Tunnel 1 started on 15th January 2021, following the first explosion. Tunnel 2’s breakthrough burst took place on 14th October 2021 and was carried out by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh during an e-ceremony from India Gate, signalling the end of Tunnel 2’s excavation. The project has a total length of almost 12 kilometres which consists of two tunnels and more than eight kilometres of approach roads.
Notably, many tunnels, bridges and highways are now being built in forward areas as part of a major effort to reduce the enormous border infrastructure gap with China. The government gave its approval in February of last year to build a 4.1-kilometre tunnel under the challenging Shinkun La pass, which separates Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. The tunnel is expected to cost Rs 1,681 crore.
Furthermore, he also launched the UNNATI scheme worth over Rs 10,000 crore. He also unveiled multiple development projects in various states including Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh during the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit North East’ programme.
During the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit North East’ programme in Arunachal Pradesh today, PM Modi is expected to inaugurate, dedicate, and lay the foundation stone of several other development projects worth approximately Rs 55,600 crore in Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh, as per the PMO’s press release.
Moreover, he is going to visit Jorhat in the adjacent state of Assam, where he will dedicate a statue honouring the late Ahom general Lachit Borphukan. Furthermore, the PM will introduce and officially launch several development initiatives in Assam valued at over Rs 17,500 crore.
