ATAL TUNNEL
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Context
- The Atal Tunnel built by Border Roads Organisation (BRO, in Rohtang in Himachal Pradesh, received the Indian Building Congress' (IBC) 'Best Infrastructure Project' award in New Delhi.
About
- Atal Tunnel (also known as Rohtang Tunnel) is a highway tunnel built under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas on the Leh-Manali Highway in Himachal Pradesh.
- At a length of 9.02 km, it is the longest highway single-tube tunnel above 10,000 feet (3,048 m) in the world.
Significance
- The tunnel reduces the travel time and overall distance between Manali and Keylong on the way to Leh.
- The tunnel, besides offering the Armed Forces a strategic advantage by providing an alternate link to the critical Ladakh Sector, has also been a boon for the residents of Lahaul & Spiti District in Himachal Pradesh.
- The region has seen an unprecedented increase in the arrival of tourists, and in a little more than a year, the valley and the state have witnessed growth in the socio-economic domains.
- The Atal Tunnel is destined to play a defining role in the future development of the region.
Do you know? With the existing Atal Tunnel and after the completion of under-construction Shingo La Tunnel, which is targeted to be completed by 2024, both the Leh-Manali Highway and the Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road routes will become all-weather roads. Shingo-La (also known as Shinku La) is a mountain pass in India, on the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. This pass may be considered as an entry point to Lugnak Valley in Zanskar. The pass is on a long-distance footpath linking Zanskar and Lahaul. |