
The world's longest twin-lane tunnel, the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday.
The strategically significant Sela Tunnel, which is located at an elevation of 13,000 feet, will guarantee all-weather communication to Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh.
In an address following the tunnel's opening, Prime Minister Modi stated, "You must be familiar with the 'Modi Ki Guarantee'." Its significance will become clear to you when you visit Arunachal. This is seen throughout the Northeast. This is where I laid the Sela Tunnel's foundation in 2019, and it was officially opened today."
The project was started in February 2019 with the foundation stone set by PM Modi, but the COVID-19 pandemic caused a delay in its completion.
The project, which was built for a total of almost 12 km at a cost of Rs 825 crore, consists of two tunnels and more than 8 km of approach roads. The first tunnel is 980 metres long and has a single tube, and the second tunnel is 1.5 kilometres long and is used as an emergency escape route.
Strategically strategically significant, the Sela Tunnel lies close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and offers year-round access to Tawang and other forward locations bordering China.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced projects in the Northeast valued at Rs 55,600 crore. During an event in Itanagar, the PM presented the projects that are spread throughout Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh. The Prime Minister signalled the opening of the Sela tunnel by waving a bus operated by the Arunachal Pradesh State Transport. According to PTI, the PM inaugurated development projects in Arunachal Pradesh valued at over 41,000 crore.