There are several stories behind the 4.89-km long, eight-lane tunnel on the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway which are cut through Mukundra Hills in Kota, Rajasthan.
One of them is 58 -year -old Madhukar, who has built tunnels throughout his life. He started the project during Kovid in North End in 2021, which could be his final work before retirement in two years. Now, encountered with a difficult 500 meter stretch – he calls it “drain part” – Madhukar is determined to successfully complete his ninth project, and becomes emotional remembering his association with the tunnel.
The tunnel between Umdpura and Naigaon villages in Kota is one of the major links of the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway-which is one of the most ambitious projects of the Indian Highways Authority of India (NHAI) under the Purna Plan. With a width of 22 meters and a height of 11 meters, it is one of the country’s most wide tunnels, which undergoes various rock masses and substrates including sandstones, shells, siltstones, mudstones and limestone.
In the Project Cluster, which is divided into 53 packages, the Umdpura-Nayagaon tunnel is being constructed by a joint venture of Dilip Buildcon Limited and Ultis-Holding Corporation. It was originally a 30 -month project to be completed in January 2024, but was delayed by challenges during excavation and is now likely to be completed by the end of the year.
,Hum Rock SE Dosti Karte Han, AAP Rock SE Dushmani Karke Tunnel Nahi Bana Sakte (We befriend the rock, you cannot make a tunnel by fighting with the rock). Even in this project, we have come in the most difficult part, but we will slowly pass it. We only have to understand the behavior of the rock, ”Madhukar, a resident of Khagaria in Bihar, said, who is in charge of blasting.
The tunnel undergoes various rock mass and substrate that includes sandstone, shell, siltstone, mudstone and limestone. (Express photo by Dheeraj Mishra)
After working in the difficult areas of Sikkim, Uttarakhand, Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, Madhukar, who holds a diploma in mining, reduce the challenge. “The top surface of the hill is in a zig-zag shape. We have come to a point where the distance between the top and the surface of the mountain is just 10.62 meters. Technically, we call it overburden. So, if not dealt with meditation, it can fall anytime. We are using a pilot tunning method.
The tunnel is part of the 8.3-km package-15 of the 1,386-km expressway project. According to the expressway’s own authority NHAI, the cost of the tunnel was Rs 1,000 crore before amending to Rs 1,250 crore.
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Dilip Buildcon’s Project Head and General Manager (Engineering Tunnel) Sanjay Kumar said that the tunnel is about 80 percent complete. “This 8.3 km stretch of the expressway includes the construction of the highway, an open ramp, an covered tunnel and an underground tunnel. The total length of the underground tunnel is 3.3 km. On the north side, there is a cut and cover tunnel of 480 meters north. It is a protected area as a forest department.
The 4.89-km tunnel in Kota is a major link in the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway.
“In tunling, and especially for such delicate stretch, we have to decide our next step on every meter of excavation. In this 500 meter section, we are building a small tunnel, then we will widen it to take the size of the main tunnel. It is like creating a tunnel inside a tunnel. Said.
Vikas Prasad, a geologist from Jharkhand, explains the challenges. “The rock mass is very weak and highly fragmented, because of this, we suffered some unexpected changes in the geological situation. Very heavy groundwater water was faced inside the tunnel. Along with this, due to heavy rains, the tunnels submerged in 2022, 2023 and 2024, we become difficult.
Security expert, Surendra Singh said that since the excavation is close to completion, the next step is to set up a strong security system. “The tunnel will be equipped with SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) system. It includes power supply, ventilation system, fire fighting and hydrant system, fire alarm, gas suppression system, optical linear heat detection, public address, CCTV, Emergency Telephone, Gas Sensor, Radio Reibraining System, Emergency, Emergency, Emergency, Compassion System, Committee, Committee, Committee, Compassion System, Compassion System, Country And traffic control, lighting etc. said. “
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The tunnel undergoes various rock mass and substrate that includes sandstone, shell, siltstone, mudstone and limestone. (Express photo by Dheeraj Mishra)
Pardip Atri, Regional Officer, Nai, Jaipur said that the success was completed on February 20 and April 10. “The success of the tunnel is a sensational moment, when the tunnel being excavated from both sides meet at the end.
According to ATRI, this tunnel is in an environment-sensitive field, causing concerns with the Department of Forest and Wildlife. He said, “We designed the project accordingly. Most of the tunnels of the country are four-lane. We are building two four-lane tunnels here, which will be a major achievement for more than 2,000 people working on this project. The vehicle movement will start with these tunnels by March 2026.”
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