Overview
- A government release says about 240 km of tunnels have been constructed or are being executed across road, rail and urban projects to bolster year‑round connectivity and strategic mobility.
- The Zojila Tunnel on the Srinagar–Leh corridor has nearly 12 km completed, carries a 2028 target, and is expected to be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi‑directional tunnel when finished.
- On the Rishikesh–Karnaprayag rail line, nearly 200 km of the 213 km tunnel scope is complete, making it one of the most tunnel‑intensive railway projects in the Himalayas.
- Key 2024 milestones included commissioning Kolkata’s first underwater metro tunnel beneath the Hooghly River and a breakthrough on the Mumbai–Ahmedabad high‑speed rail’s 4.8‑km undersea section.
- Officials report a shift from drill‑and‑blast to TBMs, real‑time monitoring and improved geological mapping, with the government claiming over Rs 5,000 crore in savings on Zojila through modern methods.