The construction of the tunnel started on April 01, 2019.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday virtually conducted the final breakthrough blast of the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal. The 12 km long tunnel is expected to enhance military capabilities in combating the threat of China's Western Theatre Command
Following are the top 5 things to know about the Sela Tunnel:
The Sela Pass is located between the Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh and is considered crucial from a strategic perspective.
Being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Sela Tunnel will be the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world at an altitude above 13,000 feet upon completion. It's being constructed using the latest New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) and is considerably below the snow line, which makes it accessible during all weather.
This tunnel is expected to cut down the distance to the China border through Tawang by 10 km, it would also cut down by at least an hour the travel time between the Army's 4 Corps headquarters at Tezpur in Assam and Tawang.
The construction of the tunnel started on April 01, 2019, with the first blast taking place on October 31, 2019. Despite COVID-19 restrictions and adverse weather conditions, the project has been ahead of schedule. It's expected to be over by June-August 2022.
The tunnel will add to the tourist potential of Tawang and attract more tourists, making it a more popular destination in the North East region. It's expected to contribute not just to security but also socio-economic development of the region.
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