With reference to 'Atal Tunnel', which of the following statements is/are correct?

Question

With reference to 'Atal Tunnel', which of the following statements is/are correct?

1. This tunnel is the world's longest highway tunnel.

2. This tunnel is built in the Pir Panjal range of Himalayas.

Select the correct answer from the code given below:

1. A. Only 2
2. B. Neither 1 nor 2
3. C. Both 1 and 2 (Correct answer)
4. D. Only 1

Correct Answer

Option C — Both 1 and 2

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Both 1 and 2.

Key Points

• Statement 1 is correct as per the official key. The Atal Tunnel is recognised as the world's longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet, at about 9.02 km and an altitude of roughly 3,000 m (10,000 ft).
• Statement 2 is correct. It is bored through the Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas.
• Both hold, giving option (c).

Additional Information

• The Atal Tunnel connects Manali in Himachal Pradesh with the Lahaul-Spiti valley, bypassing the Rohtang Pass, which used to close for about six months every winter.
• It was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and inaugurated in October 2020; it cuts the Manali-Leh distance by about 46 km.
• It is a horseshoe-shaped, single-tube, two-lane tunnel with an emergency escape tunnel built into the main tunnel itself.
• Other strategic tunnels to revise: the Sela Tunnel (Arunachal Pradesh, world's longest bi-lane tunnel above 13,000 ft), the Z-Morh and Zojila tunnels (Zojila will be Asia's longest bi-directional road tunnel) and the Chenani-Nashri (Syama Prasad Mookerjee) Tunnel.