Sela Tunnel

Sela Tunnel is an upcoming road tunnel project in Sela Pass and is a step toward ensuring all-weather connectivity between Guwahati in Assam and Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh state of India. The tunnel gets its name from 4170 m (13,700 ft) Sela Pass which this tunnel will cut across and reduce the distance between Dirang and Tawang by 10 km. The Government of India announced the funding for construction of all weather transport tunnel in 2018-19 budget.[1] Construction will start in Jan/Feb 2019 and end by Jan/Feb 2022.[2]

Strategic importance

The tunnel which is being constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will cut the travel time from the Indian Army's IV Corps headquarter at Tezpur to Tawang by at least 10 km or 1 hour, and it will also help make the NH13 an all-weather road to access Tawang which usually gets disconnected during winter.[2] Pass itself is located at 13,700 feet,[2] but the tunnel will pass through at the height of 10,000 feet. BRO is also improving the road from Sangestar Tso (north of Tawang) to Bum La Pass on India-China Line of Actual Control (disputed parts of McMahon Line).[2] NH13 has been converted to 2-lane road.[2]

Status updates
  • February 2018: Project announced in 2018-19 union budget.
  • February 2019: Foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tunnel to be ready in three years.[3]
  • Sep 2019: Approach work ongoing, tunnel boring to start by month end.[4]

See also

References
  1. Sela pass tunnel, Economic Times, 1 Feb 2018.
  2. Sela tunnel construction to start soon, Business Standard, 21 Nov 2018.
  3. https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ani/pm-modi-inaugurates-sela-tunnel-project-in-arunachal-pradesh-119020900558_1.html
  4. http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/2019/sep/20/work-on-important-sela-tunnel-connecting-with-tawang-to-begin-by-september-end-2036434.html

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