INDIA’S ENGINEERING MARVELS

INDIA HAS NUMEROUS ENGINEERING MARVELS - OLD AND NEW - BUILT TO IMPROVE LIVES & THE LATEST SUCH MARVEL IS THE ATAL TUNNEL IN HIMACHAL PRADESH’S ROHTANG

Human beings from the start were builders or creators. With the current advancement in technology, engineers can challenge the impossible and make their dreams a reality. By developing tunnels like the Atal Tunnel, engineers have given society a new sense of outstanding experiences, making it clear that anything can be achieved.

India has numerous engineering marvels-old and new- built to improve lives. The latest such marvel is the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh’s Rohtang, inaugurated in October 2020. Built with ultramodern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000metres (10,000-feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL), the Atal Tunnel is located at 25 km from Manali and at an altitude of 3,060-metres, while the north portal (NP) of the tunnel is located near Teling village, Sissu, in Lahaul Valley at an altitude of 3,071 metres.

It is extremely significant from the defence point of view. The Border Roads Organisation worked relentlessly to overcome major geological, terrain and weather challenges that included the most difficult stretch of the 587-metre Seri Nalah Fault Zone. More than 3, 000 workers, along with engineers, from Bihar, Jharkhand and Nepal worked overtime to complete the tunnel.

The tunnel provides a telephone facility at every 150 metres of its stretch, a fire hydrant every 60 metre, emergency exits every 500 metres, turning cavern every 2.2km, air quality monitors every 1 km, broadcasting system and automatic incident detection system with CCTV cameras every 250 metre.

The 9.02-km long tunnel, shaped like a horseshoe, is the longest highway tunnel in the world and connects Manali to Lahaul-spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier, the valley used to be cut off for about six months every year due to heavy snowfall.the tunnel has consumed 12,252 metric tonnes of steel, 1,69,426 metric tonnes of cement and 1,01,336 metric tonnes of concrete and excavated 5,05,264 metric tonnes of soil and rocks by adopting the latest Austrian tunneling method for construction.

The vision for constructing a strategic tunnel was proposed by Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the former prime minister of India. Finally, the decision was taken on June 3, 2000, to construct the tunnel below the Rohtang Pass. This tunnel is also known as Rohtang tunnel, but the name Atal tunnel is given to honour the contribution made by Atal Bihari Vajpayee to the building of that tunnel.

THE VISION FOR CONSTRUCTING A STRATEGIC TUNNEL WAS PROPOSED BY SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE, THE FORMER PRIME MINISTER OF INDIA