Rohtang Tunnel to be completed by 2013 : CM

Shimla, Sep 6 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said the nine km long Rohtang tunnel would be completed by 2013 for which global tenders had been floated.

The tunnel, which would connect Lahaul Valley with Manali, was an ambitious project of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who had announced its construction during her tour to the Lahaul valley a few years ago he said. This tunnel would cater to the connectivity requirements of the valley people on their demand and also for the supplies of the defence forces passing through the valley.

He said this in his meetng with the Director General of Border Roads Lt Gen K S Rao, PVSM, SC, SM, who called on him here.

Mr Singh said the double laned tunnel tube would help in maintaining connectivity of the valley with rest of the world round the year besides promoting tourism activities in the area. The tunnel construction was also strategically important since the defence supplies were being carried through the Lahaul valley and were bound to benefit the public and forces equally, he said.

He said service tunnel would be required to be constructed alongside the main tunnel as part of the safety measure to carry the different types wires including high tension under ground wires connecting the valley as also to cater to the future requirements of the hydel power generation potential available in the valley.

Besides the service tunnel would protect the main tunnel from radiation and other invisible impacts and also facilitate the repair and maintenance activities of the same, he said. The Chief Minister said if required, the state government would consider sharing the financial burden of the service tunnel after examining all related aspects.

He advised the Border Road Authorities to carry out the construction work from both sides of the tunnel with the help of modern mechanical devices and experienced manpower so that the same was completed well before its completed date.

All the codal formalities required to be completed before the allotment of the project needed to be completed expeditiously so that work could be started on war footing, he said since the area had limited working season and the authorities needed to plan ahead of the working season of the target to be achieved during the working season, he said adding machinery and equipment needed to be hired for undertaking the tunnel-boring project.

Mr Singh also expressed concern over the poor border roads condition under the DGBR control connecting border areas with rest of the world, saying the state government had been lending its cooperation in restoration of road damages in the tribal districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul the DGBR needed to pay heed towards the maintenance and upkeep of the roads under their control to facilitate smooth plying of the vehicles. He said that those roads were also important for the state since tribal areas of Spiti and Lahaul were connected through the same besides the entire Kinnaur district.

UNI