Sela tunnel construction to be completed by end of this year

The Sela tunnel construction project in Arunachal Pradesh to allow faster deployment of weapons and army to forward areas in the Tawang sector has been delayed due to a prolonged winter that slowed down construction activity and will now be complete by the end of this year.

This project worth Rs 700 crore was expected to be completed by June 2022.

According to an official, the project has been slightly delayed due to an extended winter season. The area witnessed heavy snow till April, and the project should be over by October-November this year.

The government announced the Sela tunnel project in 2018. It will be the longest twin-lane tunnel in the world above 13,000 feet and will cut down travel time to Tawang by at least one hour and provide all-weather connectivity. In 2019, PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation of the project.

The project includes Tunnel 1 of 980 m and Tunnel 2 of 1,555 m twin-tube tunnel. These tunnels are coming up through two ridges west of Sela. It also consists of two roads of 7 km and 1.3 km.

Tunnel 2 has one bi-lane tube to release traffic and one escape tube for emergencies. Only tunnels longer than 1,500 m must have an escape passage alongside.

Winter connectivity to the Tawang region over the 14,000 ft pass, Sela, posed a logistics challenge for the army, including the movement of troops, weapons and stores, which was severely affected for three to four months.

Military affairs expert Lieutenant General Shokin Chauhan (retd) said that after completing the tunnel, the road would remain open year-round. It will allow faster movement of military deployment for the reserves, and the population will no longer get cut off from the mainland.

Over 50 engineers and 500 workers helped in constructing the tunnel using the latest Austrian tunnelling techniques, including observing and studying the rock and designing tunnel support as per the rock behaviour.

Around 4,000 army and civilian vehicles will use the tunnel daily. The tunnel dimensions will support the movement of all types of army vehicles and military hardware, including the Bofors guns that currently have to be moved to forward areas by Scania trucks.

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Also read: Sela tunnel project enters decisive phase: Defense Ministry