Chardham project: In major feat, BRO digs 440m tunnel below Chamba town despite lockdown

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) achieved a major milestone in the Chardham road project in Uttarakhand after it successfully dug a 440-meter tunnel below the busy Chamba town on Rishikesh-Dharasu national highway.

“Breakthrough and perfect linkup of construction teams from North and South Portals was accomplished amid challenges of COVID-19 and restrictions due to the nationwide lockdown," BRO said in an official statement on Tuesday.

BRO Chief Lt Gen Harpal Singh said that the latest Austrian technology is being used in the construction and the tunnel which is expected to be ready in October 2020, three months ahead of schedule.

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Nitin Gadkari praises BRO team

Road Transport and Highways Minister Road Gadkari also congratulated Lt Gen Harpal Singh and his team for completing the crucial projects of "national importance" over the last two years.

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BRO, in its statement, said the construction of the tunnel was a challenging task in terms of land acquisition, weak geology, continuous water seepage, and the densely populated area above the tunnel increasing the chances of sinking.

"Under the prestigious Chardham project costing about Rs 12,000 crores, BRO is constructing 250 km of national highway leading to holy shrines of Gangotri and Badrinath. The majority of works are progressing ahead of schedule and five projects are slated for completion by October 2020," it said.

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(With inputs from ANI)