Oct 14, 2021, 2:48 PM IST
Sela Tunnel will play a crucial role in bolstering national security and ensuring socio-economic development of the region, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday while presiding over the breakthrough blast of the main tube.
Located in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, the Sela Tunnel will reduce travel time and provides all-weather connectivity to Tawang.
Lauding the Border Roads Organisation, Rajnath said that the BRO has been constructing roads, tunnels, bridges and airfields at record altitudes under extreme weather conditions.
Stating that the BRO had made remote areas visible on connectivity maps, the defence minister said that the BRO's efforts have augmented the operational readiness of the country's armed forces.
Besides, by strengthening the border infrastructure, the BRO had helped enhance tourism in far-flung areas and create jobs for the local population.
In 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the Sela Tunnel project to provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang through the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang Road.
The breakthrough blast of the main tube of the proposed state-of-the-art tunnel marks the end of the excavation process. The tunnel will be a lifeline for not just Tawang but the entire Arunachal Pradesh. Work on the 980-metre long second tunnel of the project has already crossed the 700-metre mark.