PM Modi Inaugurates Atal Tunnel At Rohtang In Himachal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal Tunnel. It reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km and the travel time by 4-5 hours.

KNOW MORE ABOUT ATAL TUNNEL

The tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3,000 metres.

Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world, and the 9.02 km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. The valley was earlier cut off for about six months every year due to heavy snowfall.

MODI’S SPEECH

PM Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General MM Naravane, as well as Himachal Chief Minister Jairam Thakur.

Moreover, describing the moment as a “historic day” and one that heralded the realisation of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s dream, the tunnel has been named after him, PM Modi said the tunnel would strengthen India’s border infrastructure.

The Prime Minister cited a number of projects, from the tunnel to the air strip at Daulat Beg Oldi in Ladakh. Also, it claimed that they had been either delayed or forgotten. He questioned the “compulsion” or “pressure” that might have been beyond the delays.

“There was no political will. I can talk about dozens of projects that are important from the strategic point of view, but for years they were neglected,” he said, adding, “Nothing is more important to us than protecting the country… the nation has seen an era when defence interests were compromised.”

However, it is a horse shoe-shaped, single-tube, double lane tunnel with a roadway of eight metres. It has an overhead clearance of 5.525 metres, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

Although, the decision to construct a strategic tunnel below the Rohtang Pass in Himachal was taken on June 3, 2000. It was when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. The foundation stone for the access road to the South Portal was laid on May 26, 2002.

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