Construction of the world’s tallest tunnel began Friday in India, strategically located along a border region with neighboring China.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually broken ground on the Shinkun La Tunnel project – a 2.6-mile-long twin-tube tunnel that will be built at an altitude of about 15,800 feet.
The tunnel will be built on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha road, a stretch of road in the northern border region of India.
A statement from Modi’s office said the tunnel “will ensure swift and efficient movement of [India’s] Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the project would be “a gateway to security, accessibility and progress in Ladakh”.
Newsweek contacted the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indian Ministry of External Affairs for comment via email.
BJP
Border tensions between India and China have been a long-standing issuewith the two nations frequently facing clashes and confrontations along their disputed border.
The most recent phase of heightened tensions began in June 2020, when Chinese and Indian troops engaged in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley, resulting in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese casualties, according to reports.
India and China have agreed to work urgently to withdraw troops from critical standoff points along their border.
The border remains heavily militarized, however, with both sides continuing to build up their infrastructure and logistical capabilities in the region, as Friday’s developments demonstrate. Newsweek showed that China has expanded its facilities near its border with India.
The two giants clashed in 1962, and China won a quick victory. The war ended with China declaring a ceasefire and unilaterally withdrawing its troops to positions 20 kilometers behind the Line of Actual Control, a ceasefire line that has since become the de facto border between the two countries.
The Shinkun La tunnel is the latest in a series of notable construction projects across the South Asian country.
Last month, a bridge intended to be used as part of a high-speed rail line was erected in less than 24 hours.
Part of India’s ambitious Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, the speedy undertaking required 3,000 tonnes of steel and measures around 18 metres high and 14 metres wide.
The bridge was the third steel bridge completed out of 28 planned for the corridor, after the first and second were launched at Surat and near Nadiad in Gujarat respectively.
Got a story for us? Questions about construction projects or international politics? Questions about the China-India border dispute? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com
Uncommon knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
