NEW DELHI: The construction of tunnels near India’s borders with China and Pakistan has picked up pace. India has issued a global tender for the construction of a state of the art tunnel under the Brahmaputra in Assam , quickened the pace of work on three other tunnels near the border with China, and plans to build six tunnels near the Pakistan border.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which is handling this matter, has issued a global tender for the construction of a tunnel under the Brahmaputra River in Assam, while it has also begun the excavation of a tunnel under the Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, top officials said. Work on another tunnel in Nechiphu, also in Arunachal Pradesh, which will shorten the travel time to Tawang, will begin soon.The new tunnels that are being planned for India’s western front are at Sadhna Pass (a mountain pass connecting Karnah tehsil of Kupwara to rest of Kashmir valley) and Pharkian Galli (in Kupwara) in Jammu and Kashmir Nineteen tunnels are planned to come up along India’s frontiers with China and Pakistan. While they include those that are already completed, they comprise of new ones such as the ones on eastern front in the Brahmaputra, Sela, Nechiphu and Shinkula and near the western front as well. “Nineteen odd tunnels are in planning in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. About 15 of them are in J&K and Ladakh such as at Sadhna and Pharkian Galli. The ones in Arunachal include the Sela and Nechiphu tunnels,” an official explained.Besides the 19, there are also plans to have four tunnels in the Akhnoor-Poonch road, also for shortening the distance and travel time.These developments were shared by the BRO during a presentation to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh earlier this month.One of the most important tunnels will be the one in the Brahmaputra. “The tender for the construction was issued in October and the response from companies will be sought until January. The tender is for making a Detailed Project Report, which will comprise the details of the alignment and the construction,” an official said.The Standing Committee on Defence in a report presented to the Lok Sabha Speaker on December 20, mentions that the timeline to finish the underwater tunnel is 2028. While appreciating the development, the Committee said that the BRO should adhere to timelines and complete the work on schedule. “The role of the ministry (of defence) and other stakeholders...is very crucial in accomplishing this project without registering any time and cost escalations. If required, the ministry may constitute a monitoring committee for regular oversight in this regard,” it said.The tunnel will be located north of Tezpur in Assam, where it will connect the north and south banks of the river, as ET had reported. It is expected to be between 12 km and 15 km long. It could entail having both rail and road networks or just the latter, depending on the difficulty in construction and the gradient underwater. It could be constructed underwater or on the river bed or under it. As the depth and course of the Brahmaputra changes, the most likely option is to construct a tunnel under the river bed.The reason behind the government contemplating on having a tunnel under the Brahmaputra is that the strategic bridges connecting different areas in Assam to Arunachal Pradesh and further ahead to regions along the LAC are vulnerable to interference by the adversary. The tunnel, however, would be unexposed and ensure complete protection to military convoys moving in it.North of this area, work on Sela tunnel excavation has begun after the approach roads to it were completed. There are two approach roads- the 400 metre long Northern one and the Southern one which is about 8 km long. “The excavation work has started on the 2.5 km long tunnel which will comprise of two tubes,” an official said, adding that the deadline for completing the project is March 2022.Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation stone of the tunnel on February 9. This tunnel will provide all weather connectivity to Tawang and areas ahead of it along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China. While the tunnel will ensure troops reach the border areas during snowfall and avalanches, it will also reduce travel time between Tezpur, where a strategic formation is located, and Tawang as the army can avoid moving over the dangerous Sela Pass that is located at 13,700 feet.Work will also start within the next three months on the 450 metre long Nechiphu tunnel, which is located on the road between Bhalukpong and Tawang. This will also provide better access to Tawang, as Nechiphu pass is an accident prone area.Along the northern border, a tunnel will be constructed in Shinkula, which will reduce the distance to Leh and the Zanskar Valley. Shinkula is a mountain pass between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh.