The Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, India is a strategically important project that provides all-weather connectivity to the Tawang region. The tunnel is named after Sela, a local Monpa girl who helped Maha Vir Chakra awardee Jaswant Singh Rawat hold off the Chinese Army during the 1962 Sino-Indian War.
Here are some details about the Sela Tunnel:
Location:
Built with a total cost of Rs 825 crore, the tunnel project is constructed at an altitude of 13,700 feet in West Kameng district on the road connecting Tezpur to Tawang.
Construction:
The tunnel was built by the Border Road Organisation(BRO) and cost Rs 825 crore to construct. The project was laid out by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in February 2019.
Design:
The construction was challenging due to the harsh weather conditions in the region, including temperatures as low as -20°C, heavy snowfall, and landslides.
The tunnel has two tubes, a 980-meter single-tube and a 1,555-meter bi-lane tube for traffic and emergency services. It also has a link road of 1,200 meters. The tunnel has state-of-the-art safety features, including a ventilation system, fire-fighting devices, and monitoring systems.
Capacity:
The tunnel is designed to accommodate 3,000 petrol cars and 2,000 diesel trucks per day with a maximum speed of 80 km/hr.
Benefits:
The tunnel will reduce the travel time from Tezpur to Tawang by more than an hour and will allow travelers to avoid the dangerous snow-covered Sela top. It will also provide the Indian Army with a vital link between Guwahati in Assam and Tawang.
Inauguration:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Sela Tunnel and said ,”Sela Tunnel’s inauguration is a moment of great pride for us. When I had laid the foundation stone for it a few years ago, some people were unsure that this project will be completed soon because the work culture that prevailed for several decades normalised delays. But, the NDA government works with a different approach and the tunnel has been inaugurated, giving you all yet another reason to visit Arunachal Pradesh.”
Situated near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Sela Tunnel is strategically crucial, providing year-round access to Tawang and other forward areas bordering China.
(Inputs & Pictures from Pratyusha Mukherjee, Sr.Broadcast Journalist of British media associated with us as Editorial head of Defence & Sports)
