During the Viksit Bharat Viksit Northeast Programme on Saturday, 09 March in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh, Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually dedicated the Sela Tunnel Project to the nation.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) constructed the tunnel at an altitude of 13,000 feet on the road from Tezpur, Assam, to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh’s West Kameng district for worth Rs 825 crore.
The tunnel is intended to provide all-weather connectivity to improve the Armed Forces’ preparedness. It will not only provide a speedier and more efficient transportation route, but it will also serve as a strategic asset for the country. It contributes to the socioeconomic growth of Tawang over Sela Pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang Road border region.
The tunnel is built using the innovative Austrian Tunneling Method, which incorporates the greatest safety standards . Apart from the Sela Tunnel, the Prime Minister virtually launched 123 significant developmental projects in Itanagar and laid the groundwork for 95 additional projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in six northeastern states namely: Meghalaya, Manipur, Nagaland, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Tripura. An official stated that the tunnel, located on the road connecting Assam’s Tezpur to Tawang, will provide “all-weather” connection to the region and is strategically crucial due to its proximity to the LAC.
The tunnel has been built to handle 3,000 automobiles and 2,000 lorries each day at a maximum speed of 80 kmph.The Sela Tunnel will not only facilitate the transportation of troops and supplies and strengthen defense capabilities in the region, but it will also usher in a new era of economic prosperity for Tawang, promoting trade, tourism, employment, education, and general growth.
According to officials, poor weather conditions, particularly during the winter, hampered patient evacuation along the existing Sela Pass. All of this will be a thing of the past once the tunnel is opened.
In a statement on X PM wrote, “We are committed to making the Northeast the growth engine of India. Addressing the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Northeast’ programme in Itanagar.”
He also stated that work on various tunnels is already underway in the region, criticizing the previous disregard of border village development. He also vowed to meet with defence troops at this engineering marvel during his future term.
The dignitaries who attended the inaugural ceremony were Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu and Minister of Earth Sciences Shri Kiren Rijiju.
The PM laid the foundation stone for the tunnel on February 9, 2019, while construction began on April 1, 2019. The tunnel was finished in under five years, overcoming hurdles such as tough terrain and poor weather conditions.
