Kullu: After almost two decades in making, the Atal Rohtang Tunnel would finally be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 3 October, giving locals of Himachal Pradesh as well as the tourists some reason to rejoice in the strained times of a pandemic.
The nearly 9km-long Atal Tunnel – named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee – is the world’s longest tunnel located above 10,000 feet and will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km.
This will not just provide a fillip to the tourism sector of Himachal Pradesh, but will also make life easy for locals of the state.
Among the biggest beneficiaries would be the Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh. The Lahaul district, which falls on the Manali-Leh route, is a major attraction among tourists due to its scenic mountain villages, snow-topped hills, massive glaciers, rivers and high passes.
But it remains cut off from the rest of the world for six months every year due to Rohtang Pass being completely snow bound between November and May.
The tunnel will now not just connect Manali to Lahaul Valley throughout the year, but will also reduce travel time by 4-5 hours.
How will tourists benefit?
Picture this: Tourists visiting Manali earlier could only visit the scenic Lahaul Valley during the summer months. Even in those months, it took up to 6-7 hours of road journey to cover the 115 km distance between the Manali city and Keylong, which is the district headquarter of the Lahaul valley.
Now, after the tunnel opens for public, tourists from Manali can reach the Lahaul Valley in just nearly 2 hours, cutting the one-side travel time by 4-5 hours, that too throughout the year.
This will lead to a lot of tourists now planning day trips from Manali to Lahaul, boosting the economic prospects for both the districts.
Dr. Ramlal Markanda, minister of technical education in Himachal Pradesh government and MLA of Lahaul-Spiti, said the tourism sector will benefit the most from the Atal Tunnel.
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The Himachal Pradesh government has set a target of two crore tourists visiting the state in one year. “The number of tourists will increase significantly after the Lahaul Valley remains connected with the rest of the world throughout the year,” he said.
The Lahaul Valley boasts of many attractions, with the most popular being the Shasur Buddhist Gompa, Drilburi Gompa, Triloknath temple and Mrikula Mata temple. Trekking routes are different and equally popular. Then there is natural beauty of Chandra Valley, Pattan Valley, Gahar Valley and Jispa for tourists to enjoy.
Moreover, the Atal Tunnel with its amazing engineering may itself become an attraction and draw more tourists to Manali.
Locals to gain, too
A flourishing tourism sector will turn around the fortunes of the local citizens, too. Manali is already known as the best tourism destination in the state. A large population is involved in travel and allied businesses like private hotels and resorts. An increase in number of tourists will boost the local economy. Notably, tourism currently contributes 6.9% to the Himachal Pradesh’s overall GDP.
Also, Lahaul’s potatoes and other local products will now easily reach the markets in other parts of the state, providing a major relief to the district’s farmers and traders. It will not just save crores of rupees in transport costs but also ensure timely movement of goods.
Better work and employment opportunities in Lahaul should, in turn, restrict migration of local people to Kullu and other districts, believe experts.
And, of course, the tunnel’s strategic importance for India can’t be overlooked, especially at times when the Indian troops are facing tensions on the Ladakh border. “Besides connecting the people of Lahual to rest of India through the year, the tunnel will aid the forward connectivity (towards Leh), offering the security forces a major strategic advantage,” the government had earlier said in a press release.
Clearly, the horseshoe shaped double-lane tunnel has a lot riding over it.
