PM TO LAY THE FOUNDATION STONE OF UNDERGROUND ROHTANG TUNNEL
WORK TO START FROM SUNDAY
ON RS. 1300 CRORE PROJECT
The Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari
Vajpayee will lay the foundation stone of 9 km long underground
tunnel at Rohtang on 26th May, 2002 (Sunday). It will
mark the commencement of work on Rs.1300 cr. Project. The Rohtang
pass serves as the gate-way to Lahaul, Spiti and Pangi Valleys
of Himachal Pradesh. Manali – Leh road is the only convenient
link connecting these valleys with Manali and the greater part
of Himachal Pradesh. The closure of Rohtang pass during winters
cuts off these valleys. For the same reason, the Ladakh area of
J&K also remains inaccessible from this direction.
The construction
of Rohtang tunnel will lead to rapid economic development of Lahaul,
Spiti and Pangi Valleys. It will help farmers and give them an
opportunity to market their agriculture products. The tunnel will
give further boost to tourism in the area as it will keep the
valley open throughout the winter. Tourists will be able to go
beyond Rohtang Pass even in winter.
Rohtang tunnel and new
alignment of the road north of Rohtang will provide an all-weather
road from Manali to Lahaul, Spiti and Pangi Valleys in Himachal
Pradesh. The tunnel will also provide shorter, safer road to people
living in Drass, Kargil and Ladakh regions. It will provide easy
access to isolated Zanskar Valley, leading to its all-round development.
The new access route will also assist in logistic support to forward
sectors of Ladakh as movement will not be restricted or disrupted
by snowfall.
Manali-Leh Road (474 kms) runs
through four high altitude mountain passes, viz. Rohtang (3980
mts), Baralachala (4900 mts), Lachulangla (5061 mts) and Tangalangla
(5360 mts) in that order. Due to heavy snowfall, blizzards and
avalanches, the Manali- Ley Road remains closed for 7 to 8 months.
