The Atal [Behari Vajpayee] Tunnel has officially been certified by World Book of Records, as the "World’s Longest Highway Tunnel above 10,000 Feet" on 09 February 2022, in New Delhi.
Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General of Border Roads Organisation (DGBR) received the award for this landmark achievement that connects Manali to the Lahaul - Spiti Valley. World Book of Records UK, is an organisation that catalogues and verifies extraordinary records across the world with authentic certification.
The 9.02 km-long, strategically significant, Atal Tunnel runs under the Rohtang Pass. It was constructed on the Manali - Leh Highway in freezing temperatures in extremely difficult terrain. Prior to the construction of the tunnel, the highway remained closed during winter season for six months, isolating Lahaul and Spiti from the mainland. Construction of this tunnel has reduced the distance on Manali - Sarchu road by 46 km and travel time by four to five hours, providing all-weather connectivity on the Manali - Leh axis.
This visionary project was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020.
The construction of this tunnel in Pir Panjal Range has been as much a test of technical and engineering skills, as of human endurance and machine efficacy. It has been constructed in extremely harsh and challenging terrain, with temperatures in the winters dipped to a bone-chilling minus 25 degrees. At the same time the temperature inside the tunnel sometimes soared to nearly 45 degrees. Fragile geology and challenges like seepage of Seri Nala, leading to the flooding of the Atal Tunnel were some of the principal construction challenges successfully surmounted by the Karmyogis of BRO.
The BRO, true to its motto ‘Connecting Places Connecting People’ offers the armed forces a strategic advantage by providing an alternate link to the critical Ladakh Sector. In a boon for the residents of Lahaul and Spiti Districts in Himachal Pradesh state, the region has seen an unprecedented increase in the arrival of tourists. In little more than a year, the valley and the state have witnessed growth in the socio-economic domains. The Atal Tunnel will play a defining role in the future development of the region.
# among the karmayogis in this particular project starting from initial design, execution, modifications, completion of project has their been even a single engineer who took her, his first degree from one of the indian institutes of technology [IIT]. or is it the case that every one of the engineering professionals had received their B Tech from other institutes, colleges. IIT alumni registers confirm that IIT B Techs generally avoid hardcore engineering, military engineering careers. now that would be a record for the guinness, limca books. a consortium of the most selective, elite of the elite engineering seminaries that graduates engineering professionals who have singularly failed to make a name, coalesce into cachet of karmayogis respected for professionalism, excellence in public engineering
ReplyDeleteI am sure many people are gratified by this effort of the BRO. How many more roads are being built by the BRO, if there are? Is our Roads and Highways Minister a part of such efforts?
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