Amid border tension, PM opens Atal tunnel in HP
At a time of heightened tensions with China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, which connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley and will reduce the road distance to Leh by 46 km and travel time by four to five hours.
The Atal Tunnel, which is the world’s longest highway tunnel, is part of government effort to improve connectivity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) so that forces and ammunition reach the forward areas faster. The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres (10,000 feet) above sea level.
The 9.02 km long tunnel built by Border Roads Organisation can be used around the year. Earlier the valley was cut off for about six months each year owing to heavy snowfall. The tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4 to 5 hours.
Launching an attack on the Congress, the Prime Minister said that country had seen a time when defence interests were compromised and cited the delay in buying modern fighter aircraft (Rafale) for the Air Force, the plan to put indigenous aircraft Tejas in cold storage, the lack of modern rifles for the armed forces, and not strengthening ordnance factories.
The Prime Minister said that the construction of the Atal tunnel was delayed once the Atal Behari Vajpayee government went out of power.
“Atalji laid the foundation stone of approach road of this tunnel in 2002. Once his government went out of power, this job was most likely forgotten. Till 2013-2014, progress was made only on 1.5 km. Experts say that if the pace of progress had continued at the same rate then the tunnel would have been completed by 2040. After 2014, the project progressed with unprecedented pace. Every problem which BRO faced was removed. Earlier 300 metres of the tunnel was being constructed but after 2014 it increased to 1,400 metre per year,” said Modi.