MP for Chehni Tunnel to ensure year-round connectivity to Pangi

Rajya Sabha MP Prof Sikander Kumar has strongly advocated for the construction of the Chehni Tunnel to ensure year-round connectivity to the tribal region of Pangi in Chamba.

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Prof Kumar, who earlier raised the issue at various platforms, including Parliament, met Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday, urging swift action to bring this long-awaited project to reality.

During the meeting, he highlighted the severe difficulties faced by the people of Pangi, especially during the harsh winters, when the valley remains cut off from the rest of the country for nearly six months.

Dr Sikander emphasised that if a tunnel is constructed through Chehni Pass, it would ensure round-the-year connectivity for Pangi Valley. The tunnel would play a crucial role in linking the remote tribal subdivision to the district headquarters and the rest of the world. However, the lack of concrete action on this project so far has been a source of disappointment for the local population.

During heavy snowfall, residents of Pangi are cut off from the rest of the state rendering healthcare and other essential services inaccessible.

Patients often fail to receive timely treatment, resulting in tragic fatalities. Additionally, essential supplies such as food and medicines become scarce, worsening the plight of the people.

He said currently, during winter, residents must travel either via Jammu or via Manali, covering an arduous 650 to 700 km to reach the district headquarters. Even these routes often remain blocked due to heavy snowfall, requiring significant time and financial resources to reopen.

To connect Pangi Valley to the district headquarters, the government maintains the route via Sach Pass, which runs at an altitude of over 4,414 meters. This route gets completely blocked by heavy snowfall during winter. Each year, the government spends crores of rupees to reopen the road. If the Chehni Tunnel is constructed, these annual restoration costs could be significantly reduced.

The demand for the Chehni Tunnel is not new. In 1984, the then Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, visited Lahaul and Pangi and assured the residents during a public rally at the Killad helipad that a tunnel through Chehni Pass would be constructed to provide year-round connectivity. However, despite repeated election promises, the project has never materialised, leaving the people of Pangi increasingly frustrated with successive governments.

The construction of the Chehni Tunnel would transform the lives of 25,000 to 28,000 residents of Pangi Valley. It would boost tourism in the region and significantly reduce the Chamba-Killad distance by nearly 40 km.