The first convoy of the Indian army passes through the newly opened Atal tunnel [WATCH]

Manali: The first convoy of the Indian army passed through the newly opened Atal Tunnel near Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. The tunnel helps save between four and five hours of travel and 46 kilometers of distance between Manali and Leh in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

The Atal tunnel is a key element in the Defense Ministry’s efforts to make the 475 km long Manali-Keylong-Leh highway used by the armed forces to reach advanced areas in Ladakh, bordering China and Pakistan. , is passable almost all year round.

On Wednesday, at the inauguration of the Atal tunnel, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that not only Himachal Pradesh, the Atal tunnel will also be a lifesaver for Leh-Ladakh. “Historic day; not only was Atal ji’s dream fulfilled, but the decades-long wait for the people of Himachal was over,” he said.

The prime minister inaugurated the strategically important all-weather Atal tunnel on Saturday. At the event, he lashed out at previous governments led by Congress, saying strategic projects were neglected and defense interests compromised for years.

The Border Roads Organization (BRO), a wing of the Defense Ministry, dug the tunnel at an altitude of 3,000 m or 10,000 feet in a decade.

Unfortunately, one day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the tunnel, three accidents were reported due to reckless motorists driving. On Monday, the BRO blamed local authorities for failing to deploy police to monitor the movement of motorists. Two days later, the state government has deployed police there.

BRO Chief Engineer KP Purushothaman told IANS that an official communication to provide forces to regulate traffic movement was sent to the Chief Minister’s Office on July 3 and to the local administration on October 3.