📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / President's Secretariat
National
President Murmu Inspects Atal Tunnel, Commends Engineering Feat and Strategic Link
✍️ thepublicworld.com
🗓 07 Oct 2026, 04:32 PM
👁 12
President Droupadi Murmu visited the Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, lauding its engineering brilliance and its role in enhancing strategic connectivity to the Lahaul‑Spiti region.
President Droupadi Murmu arrived at the Atal Tunnel, located near Manali in Himachal Pradesh, as part of her tour of the state’s infrastructure projects. She was accompanied by senior officials from the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and the National Highways Authority of India.
In a brief address inside the tunnel, Murmu highlighted the tunnel’s 8.8‑km length, its status as the longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world, and its contribution to all‑weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the Lahaul‑Spiti district. She praised the engineers and workers for overcoming challenging terrain and harsh weather.
The president also underscored the strategic importance of the tunnel for national defence, noting that it shortens the travel time for troops and equipment moving to the border areas of Ladakh and Jammu‑Kashmir. She urged continued investment in similar projects to boost regional development and tourism.
The visit concluded with a flag‑hoisting ceremony and a meeting with local representatives, where Murmu reaffirmed the central government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in the Himalayan region.
In a brief address inside the tunnel, Murmu highlighted the tunnel’s 8.8‑km length, its status as the longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet in the world, and its contribution to all‑weather connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the Lahaul‑Spiti district. She praised the engineers and workers for overcoming challenging terrain and harsh weather.
The president also underscored the strategic importance of the tunnel for national defence, noting that it shortens the travel time for troops and equipment moving to the border areas of Ladakh and Jammu‑Kashmir. She urged continued investment in similar projects to boost regional development and tourism.
The visit concluded with a flag‑hoisting ceremony and a meeting with local representatives, where Murmu reaffirmed the central government’s commitment to improving infrastructure in the Himalayan region.