The Atal Tunnel was officially certified by the World Book of Records, as the “world’s longest road tunnel above 10,000 feet”, during a historic ceremony on February 09, 2022, in New Delhi. Lt. Gen. Rajeev Chaudhry, Director General of Border Roads Organization (DGBR) received the Border Roads Organization (BRO) Extraordinary Achievement Award in constructing this engineering marvel linking Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley.
World Book of Records UK is an organization that catalogs and verifies extraordinary records around the world with authentic certification.
Pride of the Nation, the visionary Atal Tunnel project was dedicated to the Nation by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on October 03, 2020. Rohtang” was built on the Manali – Leh highway under harsh conditions of freezing temperatures on extremely difficult terrain.
Prior to the construction of the tunnel, the highway remained closed during the winter season for six months, isolating Lahaul & Spiti from the mainland.
The construction of this tunnel has reduced the distance on the Manali – Sarchu road by 46 km and the travel time by four to five hours, providing all-weather connectivity on the Manali – Leh axis.
The construction of this tunnel, nestled in the Pir Panjal ranges of the Himalayas, was as much a test of technical skill and engineering, as of human endurance and machine efficiency.
It was built on extremely harsh and difficult terrain, where winter temperatures dropped to -25 degrees, and often the temperature inside the tunnel soared to nearly 45 degrees.
Fragile geology and challenges such as the infiltration of Seri Nala, leading to flooding of the Atal Tunnel, coupled with high overburden and excessive snowfall were some of the major construction challenges overcome with success by the Karmyogis of BRO.
The BRO, true to its motto “Connecting Places Connecting People”, has delivered an engineering marvel in the Atal Tunnel, Rohtang. The tunnel, apart from giving the armed forces a strategic advantage by providing an alternative link to the critical sector of Ladakh, has also been a boon to the people of Lahaul & Spiti district in Himachal Pradesh.
The region has seen an unprecedented increase in tourist arrivals, and in just over a year, the valley and the state have experienced growth in socio-economic areas. The Atal Tunnel is set to play a decisive role in the future development of the region.