Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3rd inaugurated the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang at an altitude of above 3,000 metres in Himachal Pradesh.The 9.02 km-long-tunnel was built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). It is, reportedly, one of the world’s longest highway tunnels connecting Manali to Lahaul-Spiti valley.
In light of this, a photograph of a structure, seemingly a tunnel is being circulated with the claim that it is the recently inaugurated Atal Tunnel. Crediting the photograph to tweets and News agency PTI, media channels such as Times Now, India Today and News 18 carried the photograph in their reports of the inauguration event.
Below are screenshots of the reports:
.@SAILsteel supplies more than 9000 tonnes steel for #AtalTunnelRohtang For #PressRelease, Please visit https://t.co/NjrfsGBUcK@narendramodi@dpradhanbjp @fskulaste @SteelMinIndia@steel_indian @hp_tourism @adgpi pic.twitter.com/3qbg5eAkjQ
— SAIL (@SAILsteel) October 2, 2020
पीएम श्री @narendramodi जी को दुनिया की सबसे लंबी राजमार्ग सुरंग ‘अटल सुरंग’ के लिए बधाई। यह सुरंग हमारे देश की सीमाओं की रक्षा करने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाएगी। मनाली और लेह के बीच की दूरी भी 4 से 5 घंटे कम हो जाएगी जिससे अर्थव्यवस्था और पर्यटन क्षेत्र को बढ़ावा मिलेगा। pic.twitter.com/Qh1iYdiPDn
— Adesh Gupta (@adeshguptabjp) October 3, 2020
Claim:
Photograph shows the recently inaugurated Atal Tunnel at Rohtang, Himachal Pradesh.
Fact Check:
The claim is false.
A Google reverse image search of the viral photograph led to a similar image which was posted on a California based company’s website.
According to the description alongside the photo, it shows the ‘Devil’s Slide By-Pass Tunnels’ which was constructed under the San Pedro Mountain, California, United States.
Therefore, the tunnel seen in the viral photo is not located in India and is definitely not related to the recently inaugurated Atal Tunnel.
A keyword search led to a video on YouTube which shows the inauguration of the Devil’s Slide Tunnels. The visuals in the video are the same as the viral photo.
Further, PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had tweeted photos from the inauguration of the Atal Tunnel.
The #AtalTunnel is a game changing infrastructure project that will help several citizens. With this project comes several economic benefits, particularly for agriculture and tourism. pic.twitter.com/6gAwK5QR4Y
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 3, 2020
Atal Tunnel will prove to be a major boon for the entire region. People will now have access to better healthcare facilities, business opportunities & essential items. It will also strengthen our defence preparedness & generate employment by giving impetus to the tourism sector. pic.twitter.com/9cP8751fz8
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 3, 2020
Below is a comparison of the viral photo (centre), Devil’s Slide Tunnels (left) and the Atal tunnel (right):
Therefore, this was yet another incident where media outlets ran an unverified photograph as with false claim.
If you have any news that you believe needs to be fact-checked, please email us at factcheck@thelogicalindian.com or WhatsApp at 6364000343.
Also Read: Fact Check: Was Lieutenant General Taranjit Singh Arrested For Sedition Against Modi Administration?
