Page 27 - NIS English May16-31

ATAL TUNNEL: n Due to heavy snowfall in winter the Manali-Leh highway near
Rohtang Pass used to be blocked for five to six months
and the area was completely cut off from other parts of the
SYMBOL OF STRATEGIC- country. But now this road is open for the entire year

ECONOMIC STRENGTH n The construction of tunnel could be realised owing to the top
priority given to it by the Central Government. Prime Minister
Narendra Modi dedicated it to the nation on October 3 last
Construction of a tunnel on year
Manali-Leh highway in Rohtang n The foundation of the tunnel was laid by late Prime Minister
was a dream which was in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee on May 26, 2002, but the subsequent
making for 26 years, but could be governments did not give it due priority and things could
realised within the last six years get rolling only in 2014 when the new Government came to
owing to the Central Government power
focus and renewed interest in
it. This tunnel became a shining WHY IS ATAL TUNNEL IMPORTANT?
example of India’s resolve to n The Atal Tunnel is built at an altitude
become self-reliant, and now The construction of of 10,171 feet. It is the tallest and
longest road tunnel in the world
work has begun on Asia’s Atal Tunnel will go a n The overhead clearance of this single
longest tunnel road, the Zojila long way in helping the tube and double lane tunnel is 5.525
metre
Tunnel. It will make life easy for Indian Army deployed in n The tunnel is equipped with semi-
Ladakh. Now, weapons
the locals and make it easier for and logistics can be transverse system, firefighting
the armed forces to reach the easily supplied even system, lighting, monitoring system,
remote border areas. during winter state-of-the-art electro-mechanical
system
ZOJILA: ASIA’S LONGEST TUNNEL ROAD

Work on Asia’s longest tunnel road, the Zojila Tunnel, started last
n
year with a bang. After the construction of this tunnel, Srinagar,
Drass, Kargil and Leh areas will remain connected in all weather
conditions
The tunnel is being constructed at an altitude of 3,000 metres below
n
the Zojila pass. With its construction, the travel time in these areas
will reduce from 3 hours to just 15 minutes. The project, which is
worth Rs 7,000 Crore, will further strengthen defence strategy

New India Samachar 25