New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s longest highway tunnel, Atal Tunnel, which was built by digging through the Himalayan mountains. The construction of the tunnel was completed at Rs. 3086 crores.
The Atal Tunnel in Rohtang facilitates the military to move to Ladakh. The inauguration ceremony was held at the southern part of the tunnel. Apart from the Prime Minister, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh was also present on the occasion.
The tunnel was built by the Border Roads Organization ten years ago. KP Purushothaman, a Malayalee Chief Engineer from Kannur, led the project.
The significance of the tunnel is that the distance of the Manali-Leh National Highway will be reduced by more than 45 km. The plan is especially important in the context of the ongoing border conflict with China.
