PM Modi inaugurates Atal tunnel in Himachal
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today, inaugurated the world’s longest highway tunnel. This tunnel connecting eastern Ladakh with the whole of India has been named ‘Atal Tunnel’.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Himachal Pradesh at 10 am to inaugurate the tunnel. Along with Prime Minister Modi, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh also came to attend the inauguration program of ‘Atal Tunnel’. The work of this 9-km tunnel in Kullu Manali and Lahaul-Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh was going on for the last 10 years.
एक्सपर्ट बताते हैं कि जिस रफ्तार से 2014 में अटल टनल का काम हो रहा था,
अगर उसी रफ्तार से काम चला होता तो ये सुरंग साल 2040 में जाकर पूरा हो पाती।
आपकी आज जो उम्र है, उसमें 20 वर्ष और जोड़ लीजिए, तब जाकर लोगों के जीवन में ये दिन आता, उनका सपना पूरा होता: PM#AtalTunnel
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) October 3, 2020
Traffic will remain open even in snowfall
The Atal Tunnel is the longest highway tunnel in the world. This 9 kilometer long tunnel connects Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the year. Earlier, the valley was cut every year for about 6 months due to heavy snowfall. It is the longest highway tunnel in the world, which is more than ten thousand feet in length.
There is a CCTV camera in the tunnel every 60 meters while there is an emergency exit every 500 meters. Due to the opening of this tunnel, four hours will be saved while traveling from Manali to Leh. Fire hydrants have also been installed inside the tunnel in the event of a fire.
With the construction of this tunnel, the Lahaul-Spiti area of Himachal Pradesh and the entire Ladakh will now be connected to the rest of the country all year round. Because Rohtang pass was closed due to heavy snowfall during the winter season, due to which the highway to Ladakh via Lahaul-Spiti was closed for six months. But now, the tunnel has solved this problem.
Key safety features of the tunnel
Both portals of Atal Tunnel are equipped with tunnel entry barriers. Telephone connections are provided at every 150 meters for any emergency communication. The tunnel has a fire hydrant system for every 60 meters. An auto incident detection system with CCTV cameras has been installed inside the tunnel. Air quality monitoring system is installed every 1 kilometer to detect air quality inside the tunnel.
Border Roads Organization worked tirelessly to overcome major geological, terrain and weather challenges, including the toughest road in the 587 meter Seri Nala Fault Zone, on 15 October 2017.
