Sela Pass tunnel in Arunachal’s Tawang to provide all-weather connectivity to LAC

The Sela Pass tunnel which will provide all-weather connectivity to the Indian Army towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) near Tawang near the China border is being constructed at 13,000 feet in Arunachal Pradesh.

The construction of the Sela Pass tunnel is being done by Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and it’s expected to be completed by July (2023).

At present, the Indian Army personnel and people of the area are using Balipara-Chariduar Road to reach Tawang because the connectivity through the Sela Pass route gets affected during the winter due to excessive snowfall. Movement of the vehicles gets restricted.

The Sela Pass tunnel will bypass the existing road and it will connect Baisakhi to Nuranang. The Sela tunnel cuts through the Sela-Charbela ridge, which separates the Tawang district from the West Kameng district. It is located a few kilometres to the west of the Sela Pass.

The tunnel will provide smooth vehicular movement. After completion of the tunnel, the distance will be reduced by about 8-9 km.

The project comprises two tunnels including one twin tube. Tunnel 2 has one bi-lane tube for traffic and one escape tube for emergencies. Only tunnels longer than 1,500 metres have to have an escape passage alongside.