Inside 14-km-long Zojila tunnel that will connect Srinagar to Leh all-year round
The construction — viewed as extremely important from a military standpoint — is being constructed at 11,575 feet, making it possibly the highest in the world
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High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range in Kashmir, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. This includes work on the strategically important Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels on the Srinagar-Leh highway. Strategically important Ladakh shares de facto borders with Pakistan and China and currently depends on air supplies for about six months of the year. AP
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The government is building 20 tunnels of a total length of 32 km in Jammu and Kashmir and 11 tunnels of a total length of 20 km in Ladakh. The total cost of these 31 tunnels will be around Rs 1.4 lakh crore. The Zojila tunnel between Baltal and Minamarg on the Srinagar-Leh section will provide all-year connectivity between Leh and Srinagar. The 14-km-long tunnel will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonmarg with Ladakh. It will be at a height of 11,575 feet, making it possibly the highest in the world. AP
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The government is also building the 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel between Gagangir and Sonmarg, which will provide connectivity in all weather conditions between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh. This will make the resort town of Sonmarg accessible during the winter months for the first time. AP
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The workers at the tunnels say its challenging, but also great learning. Tariq Ahmed Lone, one of the workers, was quoted by The Associated Press as saying, “It’s not like any other construction work. It’s great learning.” AP
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Indian military planners view the tunnel project as extremely important for Ladakh. Experts say it will provide logistics flexibility to the military and give it operational and strategic mobility. AP
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The Zojila part of the tunnel is to be functional in 2026, but Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said on a visit to the project site that he hopes the work on the tunnels will be finished before the 2024 general election. “It’s a challenge I know, but I’m confident they can do it on time,” Gadkari had said. “Obviously, we would want it to be finished before the elections.” AP
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