Unveiling the Sela Tunnel: A Milestone in Arunachal Pradesh’s Connectivity
Prime Minister inaugurated the world’s longest bi-lane tunnel, the Sela Tunnel, in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday. Situated at an altitude of 13,000 feet, this strategically vital tunnel ensures seamless connectivity to Tawang, regardless of weather conditions.
During the inauguration ceremony, PM Modi emphasized the significance of the project, stating, “You must have heard of ‘Modi Ki Guarantee’. You will understand its significance once you visit Arunachal. The entire Northeast bears witness to this. I laid the foundation of the Sela Tunnel here in 2019, and today I have inaugurated it.
With a total investment of INR 825 crore, the Sela Tunnel project spans 8.6 kilometers, featuring two lanes. It has a remarkable capacity, accommodating approximately 3000 cars and up to 2000 trucks daily, with a speed limit of 80 km/hr. The primary tunnel stretches 980 meters, complemented by a 1.5 km-long secondary tunnel serving as an emergency exit.
Given its proximity to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Sela Tunnel holds immense strategic importance, ensuring year-round access to Tawang and other frontier areas adjacent to China.
In a broader developmental initiative, PM Modi unveiled projects worth INR 55,600 crore in the Northeast region on the same occasion, spanning states like Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh.
The inauguration of the Sela Tunnel was marked by the symbolic flagging off of an Arunachal Pradesh State Transport bus passing through it. Authorities unveiled development projects worth over INR 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh alone.
