PM Modi inaugurates Atal Tunnel, world’s largest tunnel in Himachal

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated the 9.02 km long Atal Tunnel Rohtang of strategic importance on the Manali-Leh road in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. With this, the ten-year wait for Himachal Pradesh ended today. For Lahaul Spiti, this gathering is nothing less than a celebration. The tunnel is built on the highway at the highest height (10040 feet) in the world at a cost of 3200 crores after piercing the hill of Pirpanjal. With the beginning of the tunnel, the army will easily reach Ladakh and the adjoining Kargil border with Pakistan through this route. Also, the distance between Manali and Leh has been reduced by 46 km. Keelong can be reached from Manali in just one and a half hours. After the inauguration, PM Modi flagged off the corporation’s bus in the North Portal and sent 15 elderly passengers to South Portal.Barriers are installed at both the gates of this tunnel. In case of emergency, telephones are installed every 150 meters and fire-fighting equipment are installed every 60 meters. CCTV cameras are installed at every 250 meters and air quality monitoring system for every kilometer to detect incidents. There are signs of emergency exit every 25 meters and a broadcasting system has been installed throughout the tunnel. Cameras are also installed in the tunnel every 60 meters.