Rs 1,300-cr Rohtang tunnel to open by 2014

Work is expected to finally begin on the construction of the 9 km-long tunnel in Himachal Pradesh at a cost of Rs1,300 crore early next year, according to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

The BRO has been assigned the task of building the strategic tunnel by the defence ministry. "The work on the 9 km-long tunnel is expected to finish by 2014," said KP Singh, chief engineer of the BRO.

"The environment clearance for the project has been obtained from the union environment and forestry ministry," he said.

The foundation stone of the mammoth project was laid by former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee four years ago but there have been delays since then including environment clearance from the Centre.

"We have deposited Rs10 crore with the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board(HPSEB) which will provide us power infrastructure. The same amount has also been allotted to the forest department for carrying out tree plantation and disposal of debris," said Singh.

"We have now finalised the consultancy firm to carry out the tunnelling and boring through the hill," he added.

Overlooking the popular resort town of Manali, the Rohtang tunnel will be located at around 9,500 feet and would reduce the distance on the 480 km-long Manali-Leh road by 46 km, BRO officials say.

Currently this high altitude road remains closed for traffic for over six months in a year due to heavy snow over the 13,050 feet high Rohtang pass. The tunnel will by-pass the dangerous pass and connect the tribal Lahaul valley, during most of the year once the tunnel is built.

"Lahaul farmers will benefit greatly as they are often unable to sell their cash crops to markets located outside the Lahaul valley as the road is often blocked for several months, causing huge losses," he said. The tunnel would also help the Indian army in transporting supplies to landlocked Ladakh, a strategic region in Jammu & Kashmir.

Singh said two roads leading up to the tunnelling site on both sides of the mountain had made considerable progress and Rs19 crore had already been spent on this.

When the project was conceived some fifteen years ago, the cost of the tunnel was expected to be around Rs700 crore but delays have almost doubled the cost.