 "Bhilai Steel Plant")
Bhilai Steel Plant (BSP), the Chhattisgarh-based arm of the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), has supplied over 7,300 tonnes of steel for the strategic Sela Tunnel Project in Arunachal Pradesh, aimed at providing faster and more efficient all-weather connectivity to the state’s Tawang region.
“BSP has supplied 6,545 tonnes of TMT bars, 512 tonnes of TMT bars in coils, 88 tonnes of wire rods, 46 tonnes of angles and channels, 94 tonnes of plates and 22 tonnes of joists - all in the specified grades for use in the construction of the Sela Tunnel Project,” a statement issued by the SAIL-Bhilai said.
The total volume of steel supplied by SAIL for the project is 24,216 tonnes. Durgapur Steel Plant (DSP) and IISCO Steel Plant at Burnpur, the other two plants of SAIL that produce TMT bars and rods, gave 8,937 tonnes and 3,118 tonnes of TMT bars, respectively. DSP has also supplied 3,662 tonnes of joists for the project, it added.
Bokaro Steel Plant (BSL) and Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP), both units of SAIL that primarily produce flat products, have also given steel for the project. BSL supplied 55 tonnes of GC Sheets, 145 tonnes of HR Sheets and 146 tonnes of HSM plates, while RSP provided 51 tonnes of HSM plates and 522 tonnes of plates from its Plate Mill, the statement said.
Constructed at an altitude of 13,700 feet in West Kameng district on the road connecting Tezpur to Tawang, it comprises two tunnels and a link road.
Executed by the Border Road Organisation (BRO), the tunnel will cut down the travel time to Tawang by at least an hour. As of now, Sela Pass remains closed for a few winter months. The project will provide a new alignment on the axis towards the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with easier movement for military personnel and equipment throughout the year.
