Tezpur: Sela Tunnel, the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world running between West Kameng district and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, is nearing completion. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be visiting the site in September end. The tunnel is the first two-lane road tunnel in the world to be built at an altitude of 13,000 feet above sea level.
The tunnel, with a total length of 11,204 km and a footpath distance of 9,220 km, will connect Dirang to Tawang in western Arunachal Pradesh, crossing the entire snow-covered mountain range of Sela Pass to the Indo-China border. The tunnel will have state-of-the-art light CCTV cameras and exit doors. The exit gates will be supervised by the officer in charge of the Border Roads Organization.
Also read: 9.8 km tunnel on Banihal Katra rail link completed in Jammu and Kashmir
The Directorate General Border Roads (DGBR) launched the first explosion of the escape tube during his visit on Army Day in January. Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the Sela Tunnel on February 9, 2019, to provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh via the Balipara-Chardwar-Tawang road. The construction of the tunnel began on April 1, 2019, and the first explosion occurred on October 31.
Currently, the excavation of the tunnel is underway as it has completed the final blasting of the 1,555-meter tunnel escape tube, which was completed well ahead of schedule. Despite the limitations of COVID-19 and adverse weather conditions, the pace of work has increased significantly in the last 6-10 months. However, the connecting road work has not been completed due to heavy snowfall in western Arunachal Pradesh since January this year and subsequent heavy rains.
Also read: India's first bullet train to have a 21 km long undersea tunnel, tender announced
The connecting road will be completed by April 2023. It is built using the latest New Austrian Tunneling Method (N.A.T.M). The tunnel is well below the snow line allowing all-weather travel without the challenges of snow accumulation. It will prove to be a boon for the people of Tawang as it will reduce travel time and ensure faster movement across the Sela Pass.
It will not only play an important role in the development of Arunachal Pradesh but also in the case of natural disasters and adverse weather conditions across the North East as it will prove to be an important link for the relocation of staff. It will be a milestone, especially for various security forces and the Indian Army deployed along the border.
