PM Narendra Modi to inaugurate Sela Tunnel: Details of world’s longest twin-lane tunnel

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is scheduled to embark on a day-long visit to Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday, will inaugurate the world’s longest twin-lane tunnel ‘Sela Tunnel’.

The inauguration ceremony will take place around 10:30 am in Itanagar as the PM will participate in the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit North East’ program. PM Modi will also launch several other developmental projects in the state including the UNNATI scheme worth ₹10,000 crore.

All you need to know about the Sela Tunnel:

The Sela Tunnel is situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet and is built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of ₹825 crore. The project comprises two tunnels – Tunnel 1 is 1,003 meters long, and Tunnel 2 is a 1,595-meter twin-tube tunnel. The project also includes two roads measuring 8.6 km. The tunnel has been designed for a traffic density of 3,000 cars and 2,000 trucks per day, with a maximum speed of 80 kmph.

The tunnel is significant as it will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang bordering China. It will also cut down the travel time to Tawang by at least one hour, allowing faster deployment of weapons, soldiers, and equipment to forward areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The tunnel, located near Sela Pass, was required as the Balipara-Charidwar-Tawang Road remains closed for a long period of the year due to snowfall and landslides caused by heavy rainfall.

The ‘Sela Tunnel’ project is said to not only boost the country’s defence preparedness but also give a fillip to the region’s socio-economic development.

The foundation of the project was laid by PM Modi in February 2019, however, the work was delayed due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the completion of the project has put a spotlight on India’s border infrastructure push aimed at bridging the gap with China.