PM Modi to inaugurate Sela Tunnel near LAC in Arunachal-China border by year end

The strategically important Sela Tunnel in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China is nearing completion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to inaugurate the Tunnel by this year end, officials said.

Constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the Sela Tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang district, bordering China and other forward areas throughout the year, enhancing the strategic and operational capabilities of the Indian Army.

The tunnel is being excavated below the 4,200-metre Sela Pass, which is often closed due to snowfall and landslides.

Once complete, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Dirang and Tawang by 10 kilometres and the travel time by an hour.

The idea of constructing a tunnel below the Sela Pass was first proposed in 2008 by then-Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu. The project was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security in 2018, and the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019.

The Sela Tunnel project involves two main tunnels: an escape tunnel and a link road. The first tunnel, which is 993 metres long, cuts through a longitudinal ridge, and after emerging, a second tunnel, 1,591 metres long, runs through the main Sela-Chabrela ridge.

The two tunnels together bypass the Sela Pass and maintain an elevation of 3000 metre. There is an escape tunnel that runs parallel to the 1591-metre tunnel. It may be mentioned here that the escape tunnel has been constructed to facilitate rescue work if an emergency situation arises. The escape tunnel is connected to the main tunnel by six Cross-passages.

The project also involves the construction of an approach road of 7.2 km to Tunnel 1, which takes off from BCT Road, and a link road of 1.2 km that connects Tunnel 1 to Tunnel 2. The total length of the project, including the tunnels, the approach, and the link roads, will be around 12 km.

The project also includes state-of-the-art control rooms to control all the traffic and remotely control all the other essential services in the tunnels with the help of SCADA, a firefighting system, ventilation facilities, a lighting system, and a communication system. The road and the tunnels are constructed for two-way traffic.

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