With the advent of social media, keeping track of the latest news has become very easy. You get to know about the happenings in different parts of the world with just a single tap. But this same platform also gives rise to many fake news stories and hoaxes. In a recent incident, various social media handles have been posting news claiming to cover Coimbatore to Thrissur in 10 minutes via the Kuthiran tunnel. Well, that’s a false claim.
Coimbatore To Thrissur In 10 Mins Via Kuthiran Tunnel
COIMBATORE
Coimbatore to Trichur Tunnel Opened. 2 hour journey is now 10 minutes.
Thanks to Govt of INDIA infrastructure development.
NO MEDIA HOUSE TALKS about such news. pic.twitter.com/ScOIKrNEtZ— Mouli. (@Chandramouli1_) June 25, 2023
Two years ago, there was fake news making the rounds that the Kuthiran Tunnel would cut travel time between Coimbatore and Thrissur to 10 minutes only. Those false claims were then put to rest, but it seems like they are back!
Many social media handles are actually posting this same fake news again. On July 25, A Twitter handle, @chandramouli1_, shared an old video of the Kuthiran tunnel and wrote about the journey from Coimbatore to Thrissur in 10 minutes in the caption. The video has by far garnered over 1.1 million views and over 11.4K likes.
Although there are 114 kilometres between Thrissur and Coimbatore (through the tunnel), the tunnel is just 1.6 kilometres long and was built to relieve commuter congestion on the Kuthiran hill. The tunnel just bypasses the hill; it does not transport travellers from one city to another.
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It Bypasses The Hill And Helps In Safe Commute
wishing Mouli Chandramouli1 dream come true pic.twitter.com/UhpzmRcnuj
— Reddy Vangala (@vjpreddy) June 26, 2023
Between Palakkad and Thrissur, there is a hill called Kuthiran. Anyone travelling to Thrissur from Coimbatore, Palakkad, etc. must pass past the Kuthiran hill. This hill has long been a source of accidents and inconvenience for commuters.
Two tunnels have been built through the hills by India’s National Highway Authority to make commuting easier. According to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the second Kuthiran tunnel, which opened in August 2022, is 1.6 km long and was built through the Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife Sanctuary.
The Kuthiran Tunnel is constructed along the Vadakkanchery-Thrissur section of National Highway 544 near the Kuthiran hills.
The tunnel ( 944 Mtrs ) has been designed to reduce travel time on the stretch by almost 30% and will ensure safer and faster connectivity
— Narayanan P S 🇮🇳 (@suresham_) June 25, 2023
The first Kuthiran tunnel was inaugurated two years prior, in July 2021. Before the tunnel, commuters had to actually stay stuck in traffic for hours to pass the Kuthiran hills.
Hence, it is not possible to complete a two hour journey in just 10 minutes by just passing through a tunnel. (As per The News Minute)
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Stay aware! Check the news you consume twice. Go for trusted sources.
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