Australian company to design Rohtang tunnel

The Himalayan tunnel will connect the Kullu valley to the Lahaul valley

SMEC International, a top Australian construction company, will prepare a detailed design of the 9-km-long proposed Rohtang pass tunnel and also give consultancy services on the Rs 1,400 crore project.

A spokesman of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) said the deal was signed last week by KP Singh of BRO and Manoli Lukas of SMEC International at Manali.

Once the detailed report is ready, work will begin early next year on boring the 9-km Himalayan tunnel to connect the Kullu valley to the snowbound-Lahaul valley by a weather route via the tunnel instead of the precarious 13,050 ft high Rohtang pass route which remains under snow for more than half the year.

The tunnel will also help reduce the distance, for the Indian army, to reach the landlocked Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The work on the 9 km long tunnel is expected to finish by 2014," said the chief engineer, BROs, KP Singh. "The environment clearance for the project has already been obtained from the central environment and forest ministry," he said.

The foundation stone of the project was laid four years ago by the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee but it was delayed since clearance from the Centre was needed.

"We have recently deposited Rs 10 crore with the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) to 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 KP Singh.

"The BRO has already built 24 km of approach roads leading to both portals (or sides of the tunnels) which has nine avalanche points," he said. "Our engineers plan to construct snow galleries which will help keep the high altitude road clear of snow," said Singh.

"Overlooking the 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 said.

Currently this high altitude road remains closed for traffic for over six months due to heavy snowfall over the 13,050 ft high Rohtang pass. The tunnel will connect the tribal Lahual valley for most of the year, once the tunnel is built.

"Lahaul Valley farmers will benefit greatly as they are often unable to shift their cash crops to markets located outside the Lahaul valley to sell their produce as the road is blocked for several months causing huge losses," he said.

When the project was conceived, some fifteen years ago, the cost of the tunnel was expected to be around Rs 700 crore but delays have doubled the expenses.