PM Narendra Modi Inaugurates Atal Tunnel In Rohtang

The much awaited Atal Tunnel in Rohtang, Himachal Pradesh, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday. Modi will take part in public functions at Sissu in Lahaul Spiti and Solang Valley after attending the inaugural event.

PM Narendra Modi was accompanied by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, and Army Chief General MM Naravane for the inauguration of the Atal Rohtang Tunnel or the Atal Tunnel. The distance between Manali and Leh will be reduced by 46 km by the Atal Tunnel or the Atal Rohtang Tunnel and the travel time will be reduced by four to five hours.

The Atal Tunnel is a 9.02-km-long horse-shoe-shaped single-tube double lane tunnel that goes on the Leh-Manali highway under the Rohtang Pass in the eastern Pir Panjal range. The Atal Rohtang Tunnel is the world's longest highway tunnel.

The South Portal (SP) of the Atal Tunnel is situated at an altitude of 3,060 metres at a distance of 25 km from Manali, while the North Portal (NP) of the tunnel is located at an altitude of 3,071 metres near the village of Teling, Sissu, in the Lahaul Valley. It is constructed at an altitude of 10,000 feet, or 3,000 metres.

PM Modi at the inauguration of Atal Tunnel said that, "I request the Ministry of Education that the students of engineering and technical studies related universities should be given a chance to do a case study of Atal Tunnel. The students must learn how this tunnel was built."

He further added that, "Atal tunnel will give new strength to India's border infrastructure. It is an example of world-class border connectivity. There have been demands to improve border infrastructure but for a long time, such projects either couldn't get out of planning stage or got stuck midway. Many other important projects were treated in the same way as Atal tunnel. The strategically important Daulat Beg Oldi airstrip in Ladakh remained closed for 40–45 years. I don't want to go into details as to what was the helplessness and the pressure behind it."

Modi, an exceptional leader and is also known for his extraordinary style statement. This time, he was seen wearing a white coloured kurta and white coloured pants. He teamed it up with an off-white sleeveless jacket and a maroon coloured shawl. One could see him with fully grown beard and hair. He donned a cap as well.