Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on October 14 virtually held the final breakthrough blast of the 12-km long Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. The tunnel is expected to enhance military capabilities in battling the threat of China’s Western Theatre Command.
Top 5 things to know about the Sela Tunnel
- Located between the Tawang and West Kameng districts of Arunachal Pradesh, the Sela Pass is considered crucial from a strategic perspective
- The Sela Tunnel that is built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will be the longest bi-lane road tunnel in the world at an altitude above 13,000 feet upon completion. It is being constructed using the latest New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM) and is considerably below the snow line that makes it accessible during all weather.
- Started construction in April 2019, the first blast took place on October 31, 2019. Despite Covid-19 restrictions and adverse weather conditions, the project has been ahead of the schedule. The construction of the Sela Tunnel is expected to be done by June-August 2022.
- The Sela Pass 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 of travel time between the Army’s 4 Corps headquarters at Tezpur in Assam and Tawang
- The tunnel is expected to add to the tourism potential of Tawang and attract more tourists, making it a more popular destination in the North East region. The tunnel is also expected to contribute not just to security but to the socio-economic development of the region as well.
