Atal Tunnel: Know everything about this unique tunnel

Atal Tunnel to be inaugurated soon

Wednesday, 26th August 2020

The strategic Rohtang Tunnel stretching to 8.8-Km and being constructed at about 3,000 metre above the sea level between Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh and Leh in the Ladakh region, will be inaugurated by the end of September 2020. The tunnel is worth Rs 3,200-crore and it is expected to cut short the 474 km distance between Manali and the Leh region by 46km roughly. This implies that the 8 hr long journey will be curbed by about 2 and ½ hour.

The tunnel has been named after Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the ex PM of India and thus, will be known by the name of Atal Tunnel. Mr. Vajpayee had actually announced this project on the 3rd of June, 2000. The work of the tunnel was assigned to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The digging of the tunnel had started in the year 2011 but the process was delayed due to the many geological challenges that the project was faced with. The actual deadline for the completion of the project was February 2015 but the work got much delayed due to issues like the ingress of water from the Seri Nullah, ban imposed on rock mining, strata of loose rock in the mid-part, quarrying land allotment delays.

Major Atal Tunnel Facts:

·         Over 700 work men are involved in the making of the Atal tunnel and are working in shifts for the same.

·         Rajnath Singh; the Defence Minister was to go for an inspection of the tunnel the previous month but the sudden stand-off between India and China his inspection trip was called off. Singh will probably go for an inspection of the Rohtang Tunnel towards the month’s end.

·         The maximum speed allowed in the Atal tunnel will be 80km/hr.

·         Troop mobility to the strategic frontiers of Jammu and Kashmir will be allowed by the tunnel

·         The tunnel will offer a vital road link to Lahaul as well as Spiti in the winter season.

·         3,000 vehicles can ply on the tunnel per day irrespective of the prevailing weather conditions.

·         The project cost has increased from Rs 1,700 crore in the year 2010 to nearly double; i.e. Rs 3,200 crore by the month of September 2020.

Himachal Pradesh proposes to run the Vistadome buses in the Atal tunnel post its inauguration next month.

Source: Hindustan Times