The 14.15 km long Zoji La (pass) tunnel that will connect Sonmarg to Drass will not only facilitate the physical connectivity of the strategic Ladakh region with the rest of India throughout the year, but will also help give it more strength. to the Indian army, a senior official in Kargil said Thursday.
Work started on the Drass side of the tunnel on Thursday with the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari initiating the first blasting of the tunnel.
The tunnel gains importance in light of India’s confrontation with China along the Current Line of Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
“It was a long-pending demand from the people of Ladakh. It will be a strategic tunnel connecting Ladakh with the rest of India 24×7, ”said Kargil District Commissioner Baseer-ul-Haq Choudhary.
“Obviously, it will be a great achievement for us. The tunnel will not only provide physical connectivity to the region, but will also establish an emotional connection with the rest of India, ”he added.
The district commissioner said that this tunnel will open employment opportunities for the people of Ladakh and that the supply of basic goods will also be maintained throughout the year.
“As Ladakh is a tourist destination, this tunnel will give an immense boost to tourism, especially winter tourism such as ice hockey, skiing and other activities,” he said.
Choudhary also said that from a defense point of view, the tunnel will add more strength to the Indian security forces in the region and, in turn, strengthen national security.
“It will be of great importance for the defense forces of the country. This project will realize 70 years of overwhelming public demand in the Ladakh region, ”he said.
After the financial and infrastructure development company IL&FS went bankrupt, the project assigned to it in May 2018 was halted in July 2018, and the contract was terminated in January 2019 by National Highways & Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL ). The project was again awarded to Megha Engineering & Infrastructure LTD (MEIL).
In February, Gadkari reviewed the entire project in detail and the project was approved again on May 23.
The construction period is now six years.
The total integrated cost of the project, including the Zoji La tunnel and the Z-Morh tunnel accesses, amounts to Rs 10,643 million.
The tunnel is being built at an altitude of about 3,000 meters under the Zoji La pass, which connects Srinagar with Leh via Drass and Kargil, but remains open for only six months of the year. Heavy snowfalls force the road to close for six months.
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