Team News Riveting
In 2005, the estimated cost for the construction of the Atal tunnel was about Rs 900 crore and when the project was recently completed, it soared three times to Rs 3200 crore.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today dedicated to the Nation the World’s longest Highway tunnel — Atal Tunnel at its south portal in Manali. The 9.02 Km long tunnel connects Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year.
Earlier the valley was cut off for about 6 months each year due to heavy snowfall. The Tunnel is built with ultra-modern specifications in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas at an altitude of 3000 meters (10,000 Feet) from the Mean Sea Level (MSL).
The tunnel reduces the road distance by 46 Kms between Manali and Leh and the time by about 4 to 5 hours.
The Prime Minister travelled in the tunnel from the South Portal to the North Portal and also visited the emergency egress tunnel that was built into the main tunnel itself.
He said Atal Tunnel was going to be a lifeline for a large part of Himachal Pradesh as well as the new Union Territory of Leh-Ladakh and would reduce the distance between Manali and Keylong by 3-4 hours.
He added that now parts of Himachal Pradesh and Leh-Ladakh will always be connected with the rest of the country and would witness speedier economic progress. He said farmers, horticulturalists and youth will now also have easy access to the capital of Delhi and other markets.
The border connectivity projects would also aid the security forces in ensuring regular supplies and also in their patrolling.
The Prime Minister said like Atal Tunnel, many important projects met the same fate. “Atal ji laid the foundation of the approach road for this tunnel in 2002. After Atal ji’s government, the work was so neglected that only 1300 metres i.e less than 1.5 Kms of tunnel could be built till 2013-14 i.e only about 300 metres each year,” Modi said..
Experts explained that if it continued at that pace then the tunnel would have been completed only in 2040.
The Prime Minister said that the Government then fast tracked the project and the construction went on at a speed of 1400 metres each year. He said the project could be completed in 6 years as against estimated 26 years.
