Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 9 “dedicated Sela Tunnel to the nation and launched the UNNATI scheme worth about Rs 10,000 crores.
- The Sela Tunnel connects Guwahati to the strategic Tawang sector round-the-year, thus aiding faster military movement to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- It is constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at an altitude of around 13,000 feet and a cost of Rs 825 crore.
- The construction of the tunnel was aimed at providing all-weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela Pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang (BCT) Road, which connects Tezpur in Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.
- The Sela Tunnel will be a major boost to India’s operational preparedness along the LAC, aiding quick military mobilisation to the bordering Tawang sector, saving nearly 10 km of road distance, translating into nearly almost an hour of travel time for convoys.
