Key Takeaways
- The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the 500‑metre Nechiphu tunnel on September 12.
- Nechiphu tunnel shortens the Balipara‑Charduar‑Tawang road by 5 km, enhancing military and civilian mobility.
- The Border Roads Organisation completed the tunnel as part of 90 strategic border projects in Arunachal.
Itanagar: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will inaugurate the newly-built 500-metre-long Nechiphu tunnel on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang road in Arunachal Pradesh on Tuesday, according to official sources on Monday.
Sources said that 90 key border infrastructure projects, including this strategically important Nechiphu tunnel in West Kameng district, will be dedicated to the nation by Rajnath Singh on September 12 from Devak Bridge in Jammu.
“A momentous occasion as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Ji will be inaugurating Nechiphu tunnel on Balipara-Charduar-Tawang (BCT) Road in West Kameng district on Sept 12, 2023,” wrote Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu in a social media post.
An architectural masterpiece, the strategically located tunnel will facilitate the swift movement of troops as well as citizens. Cutting a short distance by about 5 km, the tunnel will provide ease of travel and connectivity in the stretch that has dense fog, he said.
“Grateful to PM Narendra Modi Ji for boosting border infrastructure that is fostering economic growth and prosperity,” Khandu wrote in the post.
The Border Roads Organisation has recently completed eight roads in Arunachal Pradesh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at a cost of Rs 678 crore. 90 projects, including these, will be dedicated to the nation by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on September 12 from Devak Bridge in Jammu,” stated a tweet from the BRO.
Perched at an altitude of 5,700 feet, the Nechiphu Tunnel is a unique D-shaped single-tube double-lane tunnel that will provide all-weather connectivity to the strategic Tawang region and will be beneficial to both the Armed Forces deployed in the region and the tourists visiting pristine Tawang, officials said.
The tunnel has been conceived to bypass the extreme foggy conditions prevailing around Nechiphu Pass, which have caused hindrance to general traffic and military convoys for many decades.
The tunnel will be equipped with a state-of-the-art electro‑mechanical system, featuring:
– firefighting devices
– an auto‑illumination system
– supervisory control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) monitoring.
It also includes raised footpaths on both sides, ensuring safer pedestrian movement.
The foundation stone of the project was laid by the Defence Minister on October 12, 2020.
