Rohtang Tunnel

Subject: Geography

Context:

The Atal Tunnel at Rohtang, near Manali, is almost complete and was scheduled to be completed by May 2020, in a revised estimate, but the Covid-19 pandemic pushed back the completion by a few months due to lockdown conditions.

Concept:

• The 9-km-long tunnel under the PirPanjal range, named after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, will be the world’s longest highway tunnel above the altitude of 10,000 feet (3000 metres).
• Cutting through the PirPanjal range, the tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 km.
• While the tunnel will be a boon to the residents of the Lahaul and Spiti Valley who remain cut off from the rest of the country in winters for nearly six months due to heavy snowfall, the tunnel will provide almost all-weather connectivity to the troops stationed in Ladakh.