Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Atal Tunnel which is the world longest high-altitude tunnel at Rohtang. It has been named after late former PM shree Atal Bihari Vajpeyee. The tunnel is located above the altitude of 10,000 feet (3,000 feet).
Atal Tunnel
The tunnel have the length of 9.02 km. The tunnel is of 8 metres wide and the overhead clearance is of 5.525 metres. It was built at a cost of Rs 3,300 crores. The Steel Authority of India (SAIL) has supplied 9,000 tonnes of steel required to build the tunnel. This includes 6,500 Thermo-Mechanically Treated (TMT) bars, 1000 tonnes of steel plates and 1,500 tonnes of structural bars.
Location
The tunnel is located in the Pir Panjal range of Himalaya under the Rohtang pass.
Capacity
The tunnel can carry 1500 trucks and 3000 cars per day with a maximum speed of 80 km/hr.
Features of the Tunnel
- The tunnel includes an emergency escape tunnel with emergency exit at every 500 metres.
- It has installed telephones at every 150 metres, and fire hydrant at every 60 metres.
- It has an Auto-incident Detection system with CCTV cameras installed at every 250 metres
- The tunnel also have a Evacuation lighting at every 25 metres
- It monitors the Air Quality at every 60 metres.
- Broadcasting systems has also been installed throughout the tunnel.
Significance
The tunnel would be proved beneficial for the defence troops stationed in Ladakh and for the residents of Lahaul and Spiti Valley who remain cut off from the rest of the part during winters. Further, it reduces the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km. The journey between Manali and Lahaul- Spiti Valley usually takes five hours but now it has been reduced to 10 minutes.
Last Modified: February 9, 2024