Tunnelling Industry Experts Celebrate World Tunnel Day
The World Tunnel Day, organised by the Tunnelling Association of India (TAI), was held on 4 Dec 2024 at Scope Convention Center, New Delhi, wherein industry experts shared innovations and emerging technologies in the tunnelling industry of India, and discussed cutting-edge practices and sustainable solutions, and capacity building initiatives.
RK Dhiman, TAI President, while inaugurating the event, said, “We are honored to have eminent and renowned experts from the hydro, road, and rail sectors amongst us and I am confident that all participants will gain invaluable insights from their vast knowledge and experience.”
He informed that the Association has partnered with the Central Board of Irrigation and Power (CBIP) that has a 97-year legacy of promoting advancements in the power, water, and infrastructure sectors, and is also supporting the tunnelling and related industries with its technical expertise.
“As an industry, we must prepare for increasing tunnelling activities while ensuring cost and time efficiency. Government departments must also invest in training teams to meet these demands. To consolidate our progress, we have initiated a registration system for tunnels across the country. This database, available on our website, will serve as a valuable resource. I urge everyone to contribute by submitting relevant details, enabling us to respond effectively to crises and challenges in the sector.”
“Our main focus remains on ensuring safety during tunnelling construction, operations and optimization of costs. To this end, we publish a biannual journal and I urge engineers to contribute articles which could serve as sources of information and guidance for future tunnelling projects based on the past experiences as a case study.
He informed that the Tunnelling Association of India (TAI) disseminates knowledge on hydro tunnels, metro tunnels, and railway tunnels. “Recently, with the development of highway tunnels, we have been working to integrate knowledge about highway tunnelling on a larger scale. As a step forward, we have included the Secretary General of the Indian Road Congress in our Governing Council, and have compiled a list of tunnelling experts, whose assistance could be sought during a crisis in any tunnelling project in the country.”
Chief Guest Shri Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, graced the occasion with his presence. Addressing the gathering, he shared information on successful tunnelling projects completed in recent years and on the upcoming ones. “It is the dream of our Prime Minister to make India the third-largest economy in the world and to achieve this, we must develop international-standard infrastructure – the reason why our government has prioritized development of world-class infrastructure, wherein tunnels play a crucial role—not just for the road network, but also for hydro projects, metro rails and railways.”
He informed that in the hilly regions, 35 tunnels spanning 49 km, have been built at a cost of ₹20,000 crore, and, currently, 75 tunnels covering 146 km are under construction, costing ₹49,000 crore. There are 78 upcoming tunnels stretching over 285 km, which will cost an estimated ₹1,10,000 crore. The Ministry is also planning a tunnel under the Brahmaputra River, which will be a landmark project.
The tunnelling industry has a huge potential, and the qualitative contribution of stakeholders to its growth is commendable. However, challenges remain, particularly due to varying geological conditions in India. Water penetration and differences in rock strata are significant hurdles, especially in the Himalayan regions. To address these challenges, we need expertise and collaboration among stakeholders.
One issue is the frequent transfer of government officers working on tunnel projects, causing disruption in the projects’ continuity. I have therefore proposed appointing IITs specifically for roads, bridges, and tunnels, and have also suggested that these institutions should be funded to conduct research, given the opportunity to learn from global best practices, and train the workforce involved in tunnel construction.
The Minister also raised the issue of awarding contracts to the lowest bidders, which often leads to subpar execution. He said that sound technical knowledge and financial strength of the contractors are also important considerations. Contractors specializing in one type of tunnel (e.g. hydro projects) should also acquire the know-how on how to construct other types of tunnels such as road or metro tunnels. “Tunnelling technology is similar across applications, with some minor variations. We must however adopt a more competitive, transparent, and qualitative approach in awarding contracts. Joint ventures and liberal qualification norms sometimes result in challenges, which consequently have to be addressed.”
Since consultants play a vital role in proper planning and execution of tunnel projects, they should be offered attractive fees and profit margins as incentives, enabling them to hire more skilled personnel and deliver high-quality DPRs. The cost of tunnelling is high, partly because India lacks adequate facilities for manufacturing tunnelling machinery. “Over the next five years, we anticipate projects worth more than ₹5,00,000 crore, in metro, railway, road, and state government sectors; hence, it is essential to develop strong domestic manufacturing capabilities for tunnelling machinery,” he said.
Training is another key area: the Government engineers and organizations should establish dedicated tunnel divisions, with personnel assigned for (at least) 10 years to build expertise. Safety standards must also meet international benchmarks.
“The World Tunnel Day is an important occasion to bring together experts and stakeholders and learn from their experiences. By leveraging international technologies, implementing Make in India initiatives, and fostering collaboration, coordination, and communication amongst the stakeholders, we can elevate the Indian tunnelling industry to global standards. The tunnelling industry not only supports infrastructure development but also creates significant employment opportunities.”
Guest of Honour D. Sarangi, DG, Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, informed that tunnelling, particularly in railways, metros, and hydropower projects, has been an established practice in India for quite some time, but in roads and national highways, the Ministry is a relatively late entrant.
With the growing emphasis on building highways in hilly and mountainous terrains, along with ambitious programs like the Chardham and Frontier Highways in Arunachal Pradesh, the demand for tunnels has significantly increased.
He informed that tunnels totalling about 60 km are in operation on national highways, with another 104 km under implementation. Around 10 km of tunnels have been approved for construction, and DPRs for tunnel projects of ~152 km are being prepared and the tunnels are expected to be completed by 2029. “We must ensure safe, efficient road traffic movement across the country, with reduced vehicle operating costs.”
As regards challenges in the mode of project implementation (such as the EPC or the PPP), there are issues with the plans designed by contractors, the processes for approval, construction delays, daily monitoring, etc. To address these issues, the Ministry has adopted a rigorous process for scrutinizing tunnel designs, particularly for tunnels exceeding 1.5 km. We have recently initiated a MoU with leading institutes and industry experts in the country for collaborations to improve the DPR preparation process, make our designs more robust, and reduce the likelihood of surprises during construction. This will enable us to construct tunnels more efficiently, with fewer variations, and minimal disruptions.
“We have learned lessons from our experiences over the past few years. We are also amending our contracting documents, whether under EPC, PPP or any other model, to ensure that any deviations—such as changes in rock classification or other unforeseen parameters—are addressed equitably. This approach will help balance risks between the authority, contractors, and concessionaires. We will also collaborate with tunnelling experts in the railway and hydropower sectors to improve the quality of project preparation and construction of highway tunnels.”
“In the coming days, I see greater engagement not only with the Ministry but also with executing agencies like NHAI, NHIDCL, state PWDs, and the Border Roads Organization (BRO). These collaborations will further enhance the quality and efficiency of our tunnel projects, ensuring they meet the highest standards.”
R K Choudhary, CMD, NHPC, said that from roads and railways to water supply, hydropower, and strategic storage, tunnels play an indispensable role in shaping our modern world. They bridge distances that would otherwise be separated by hills, rivers, seas, and other natural obstacles.
Tunnels not only enhance connectivity but also provide safe, efficient transport routes free from various challenges. In our nation’s urban areas, metro tunnels have transformed the commuting experience for millions.
“Today, it is a matter of great pride that India, under the visionary leadership of our Honourable Minister Nitin Gadkari, is making significant strides toward building world-class infrastructure. Tunnels are playing a central role in this ambitious vision. Iconic projects such as the Atal Tunnel and the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel are transforming access to remote border areas, offering all-weather connectivity even in the most difficult conditions. These advancements bring us closer to realizing dreams such as connecting Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Rangpo, Gangtok in Sikkim by rail transport.”
Some unfortunate incidents in recent years have highlighted the need for greater vigilance in tunnel construction. Let us take this opportunity to learn from these challenges and ensure that we do not repeat past mistakes. The key to safe and successful tunnel projects lies in an efficient and realistic design process supported by thorough investigations and the use of the latest technologies. In this context, it is crucial to emphasize the importance of modern investigation techniques. These tools can help reduce the uncertainties or surprises inherent in tunnel construction and ensure better decision-making throughout the project life cycle.
In his presentation, Raghu Srinivasan, Director General, BRO, told the audience that at the Border Roads Organization “we view tunnels not only as engineering feats but as lifelines for the armed forces and for economic prosperity.” BRO has constructed tunnels in border areas such as Ladakh, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, where the terrain and weather conditions are unique and extremely challenging. “To date, we have completed six tunnels, with 24 more currently under construction. I would like to emphasize that we have the most modern tunnelling equipment, and trained manpower for successful tunnel construction.”
Applauding the team behind World Tunnel Day, he said, “I see this forum as a meeting of minds, where the best in the business come together to share experiences across all aspects of tunnelling, whether it pertains to DPR preparation, contract management, execution, or subsequent maintenance. These discussions are actively facilitated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. Each tunnel project contributes collectively to improving every organization involved in tunnelling. It is essential that we do not work in isolation. We need to communicate, share our experiences, and visit each other’s tunnel sites—not only upon completion but also during the construction phase. This exchange of knowledge is invaluable.”
Arnold Dix, ITA President, greeting the gathering said, “As President of ITA, and on behalf of more than 80 member nations that I represent, and several hundred thousand fellow tunnelling professionals, I wish you a Happy Tunnelling Day!”
He informed that India, with its population of over 1.4 billion, the largest urbanized cities on earth, and borders and regional areas located in some of the most extreme mountain ranges, there is no nation more deserving of tunnels. “Having worked with the experts here, I can confidently say that they are among the best in the world. They understand the essence of teamwork and welcomed me into their team—a rarity that speaks volumes. There is something uniquely special about India and the way its people collaborate. If you have any doubts about this, just look at your space program that has achieved many feats.”
Just as you have embraced outer space, I urge India to undertake a mission to explore and lead in the “underspace.” Leverage the knowledge from your numerous projects and departments and bring them together under a unified vision. Share information across your ministries, each of which holds exceptional expertise. Your Defence Force has a wealth of knowledge. Establish a single national mission for tunnelling.
Moreover, train young men and women who build this infrastructure. Equip them with the skills needed to construct these tunnels, safely and expertly. I know progress is already underway, and I wholeheartedly congratulate the companies and institutions making it possible.
What do other countries do? The best countries define and control their underground infrastructure. They decide how tunnelling is going to happen and ensure that it does. But what underground future does India want? There is a huge variation in the quality of tunnels being built in India right now. There is heavy reliance on foreign equipment, and issues like operational safety and maintenance are often overlooked. Also, there exists what I call the "pink factor"—a presumption that someone from outside the country must know more than you do. This assumption must be rejected. Each of us should be judged on our merit and expertise, irrespective of our background.
India needs to establish a clear policy framework, enable local capacity, and incentivize quality. Contracts must reward excellence. Why should a bad contractor be rewarded in the same way as a good one? As engineers, you need frameworks that allow for flexibility. You must be able to adapt when the ground behaves differently than expected. Globally, many mistakes stem from flawed financial arrangements, where clients attempt to pass all ground risk onto contractors. This approach often leads to failures in the tunnelling sector.
Adopting irrelevant standards from other regions is another common error. India’s high-altitude tunnels, for instance, require innovative models and technologies and workforces trained for extreme conditions. Underground construction is unique. Unlike any other civil engineering endeavour, we often don’t know how the ground will behave until we work with it. Our arrangements must respect this uncertainty and enable the delivery of world-class infrastructure.
Do not hesitate to embrace “Indian-style” tunnelling where necessary. Tailor your methods to your unique challenges. Consider contractual mechanisms that fairly apportion ground risk, ensure timely delivery, and compensate contractors for unforeseen conditions. The principles for success are: fairness, empowering engineers to innovate, and resolving technical complexities collaboratively, and without legal disputes.
India needs to create its tunnel vision to achieve national objectives. Competence and training are vital for ensuring that the tunnels designed can actually be built as intended and adapted when required. If India gets this right, it will undoubtedly become a global superpower in tunnelling. No other country faces the scale, length, and extreme engineering challenges that India does. For the younger generation, the opportunity is immense.
SL Kapil, Former EO, NHPC, informed the audience that around 200 tunnels covering approximately 460 km are being built and the Ministry of Road and Transport has announced plans to construct about 73 new ones, covering about 233 km, with an investment of one trillion rupees. This presents a huge opportunity for the tunnelling industry in the country.
During the conference, notable achievements in the field of tunnelling were discussed, as were the challenges like delays, and innovations such as the "I-System" index of ground structure presented by Dr. Bineshian Hoss of Amberg Engineering and Vice President, TAI. With reference to this, Sandeep Gupta, CAO, Northern Railway, highlighted the engineering marvel of the Chenab Bridge. However, he felt that a common issue is the inadequate allocation of resources like technology for investigating the ground conditions, as only 2-4% of the total project cost typically is spent on it, despite investigations being crucial. “For instance, in a 2.5-km tunnel project, about 40 boreholes were drilled along the route, despite which, the tunnel collapsed after being constructed, halting the project for over two years. Later, an ERT (Electrical Resistivity Tomography) survey identified a 200-meter-long critical zone along the tunnel route, which was previously undetectable using traditional methods. This breakthrough demonstrates the importance of adopting advanced technologies for accurate and efficient tunnel construction.”
He informed that currently, most projects in India rely on outdated methodologies, such as the RMR (Rock Mass Rating) and Q-systems, which primarily measure six parameters. These parameters are mapped on the surface, sometimes more than a kilometer above the tunnel, and then projected onto the tunnel path. This raises questions about the accuracy of such projections. New technologies, such as systems capable of evaluating 27 parameters for both soil and rock conditions, are needed urgently as they can significantly improve the quality and efficiency of tunnel investigation and construction.
Ayush Raj, Chairman, TAIym, raised the issue of safety in tunnel construction.”In the world of tunnelling, the risks are real. Workers often face life-threatening conditions such as cave-ins, flooding, or exposure to harmful gases. Today, we reflect on the importance of safety, the remarkable courage of those who take on such dangerous work, and the tools and technologies that have helped mitigate tunnelling risks over the centuries. We honor the people who have made these advancements possible: the miners of the past, the engineers of today, and the tunnel workers who continue to push the boundaries of what is possible beneath our feet.
Indian tunnelling has come a long way: its journey from the Bhargav Tunnel to today’s modern projects reflects its evolving engineering expertise and commitment to overcoming geographical and infrastructural challenges. With continued investment in technology, safety, and sustainability, India is set to lead the way in innovative tunnelling projects that will transform transportation and urban landscapes.
Sanjay Rana, MD, Parsan Overseas, giving his view on tunnel route investigations, said that there is a dual responsibility of reviewing the available methodologies across the entire life cycle of a tunnelling project—starting from planning and investigation to execution and post-construction maintenance. As renowned engineer E. S. Ferguson once said, "The engineer’s first problem in any design situation is to discover what the problem really is." We are reminded that understanding the root cause of a problem is often the first step toward its resolution. The same principle applies to tunnelling/engineering projects. If we can identify what lies beneath the surface with sufficient accuracy, 90% of the problem is already solved.
Geological investigation is, by definition, a methodology to acquire advanced knowledge of subsurface conditions to enable the development of a techno-commercially viable project layout. It is well known that good quality, adequate quantity, and sufficient time allowed for investigation, result in less uncertainty and reduced costs. At tunnelling conferences, 70–80% of the lectures focus on the challenges faced during tunnelling and how these are resolved. I always emphasize that while geological uncertainties cannot be completely eliminated, geological surprises can definitely be minimized through proper use of technology.
As Dr. Paul Hoss said, if we rely solely on drilling, we obtain discrete information only at the specific points where drilling is conducted. What happens between those points is left to our imagination, often leading to interpolation or extrapolation. According to the International Tunnelling Association, even a comprehensive exploration program covers less than 0.0005% of the future excavated volume of the tunnel. This figure is derived from the fact that globally, about 5–7% of the project cost is spent on investigation. However, in India, we typically spend just 0.7% on investigation on an infrastructure project. This means the information available to us is often as low as 0.00005% of the total project scope.
In practice, we make decisions with extremely limited information, and yet we design projects based on this data. It's no surprise that our Honorable Minister frequently points out the inadequacies in the DPRs. I've reviewed several DPRs where, for an entire 10–11 km stretch, there might be just one or two drill holes. With such sparse investigation, how can we expect to avoid surprises during execution?
A geological surprise can be defined as an unforeseen situation that arises because we did not adequately investigate and, therefore, did not anticipate the problem. The solution, however, is not to drill every meter, as that would be neither practical nor feasible. Instead, the answer lies in geophysical investigations.
Geophysical investigations provide low-cost, rapid coverage with continuous information. They do not replace drilling but complement it by optimizing drilling locations and aiding better planning and execution. While surprises can never be entirely eliminated, they can certainly be minimized. Just as maintaining a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk of cardiac problems without eliminating it entirely, geophysical investigations help minimize unexpected challenges.
Despite decades of advocacy for these techniques, geophysical investigation is often treated as a reactive, firefighting tool rather than a proactive, foundational method. Ideally, the process should begin with geological mapping, satellite imagery, and geophysical investigations, followed by targeted drilling based on these insights. This approach provides a clearer understanding of where to drill, saving time and resources.
To illustrate, various geophysical tools are available in India and are already being used successfully at different stages of tunnelling. For instance, during the planning stage, Time Domain Electromagnetic (TDEM) surveys are invaluable, offering insights up to 600–800 meters below the surface. These surveys can help create a 3D view of the subsurface, enabling informed decisions about tunnel alignment. A heliborne TDEM survey, for example, can cover a 10-km stretch in just a few days, allowing for the identification of the most suitable route.
The benefits of such technologies are immense. For instance, using heliborne TDEM, a project avoided $25 million in cost overruns simply by slightly altering the tunnel alignment based on the findings. Such innovations not only set new standards for efficiency and precision but also pave the way for safer, more reliable, and sustainable tunnelling practices.
Integrating such innovative approaches into future projects is crucial. By leveraging these advancements, we can significantly reduce risks, costs, and surprises, making tunnelling a safer and more efficient process.
Presentations were made by Dr. Bineshian Hoss, Director Technical at Amberg Engineering, on the technicalities of the I-System for tunneling. A technical session on geotechnical parameters for safe and sustainable tunnel design was conducted by Amit Srivastava, Professor at DTU. Lal Mani Singh, Director at BRO, delivered a talk on tunnel waterproofing. Presentations on safe and sustainable tunnelling solutions were made by JSL and MIPL. Sandeep Singh, Head Tunnel Infra from JSL shared the importance of Stainless Steel for safe and sustainable tunneling in India due to its corrosion resistance property and with almost no maintenance. In USBRL Jammu Tunnel Project, approx 7000 MT Stainless Steel has been used in varied applications like Cable Tray, Electric Panel, Ventilation Systems and others. Dr. Usmani, DGM at EIL, emphasized the importance of underground structures for the storage of oil and gas. Sanjoy Sanyal, MD, Bouw Consultants, spoke about sustainable design strategies.
Secretary General TAI, Shri A.K. Dinkar, gave the Vote of Thanks.
