4 days ago
3
India’s ambitious, strategic, each upwind Zojila Tunnel successful seismic Zone IV is acceptable to witnesser its last breakthrough connected June 9, 2026, with Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari overseeing the past circular of blasting from the Kargil side.
Mr. Gadkari volition preside implicit the blasting of the last block, marking a cardinal milestone successful the execution of the project.
What is the Zojila Tunnel?
The 13.14 km passageway cuts done the Himalayas astatine an altitude of 11,578 feet and connects the Kashmir Valley with Kargil successful Ladakh.
The horseshoe shaped, azygous conduit passageway is 9.5 metres wide and 7.57 metres high, and is designed arsenic a 2 lane roadworthy transition astatine an elevation of astir 11,578 feet supra oversea level.
Located connected the Srinagar Leh National Highway, the task is of sizeable geostrategic significance. It is expected to supply each upwind connectivity to Ladakh and trim question clip from implicit an hr to astir 15 minutes, officials said.
The passageway runs from Baltal successful Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal territory to Minimarg successful the Drass assemblage of Ladakh, with an 18 km attack road. The wide task spans 31 km, including roads and bridges, from Sonamarg to Minimarg.
Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MIEL) is executing the task utilizing the New Austrian Tunnelling Method to navigate the region’s fragile geological conditions.
Advanced information features
The passageway incorporates precocious information systems, including a semi transverse ventilation mechanics to guarantee dependable airflow.
It is equipped with a Smart Tunnel strategy based connected SCADA, on with CCTV surveillance, vigor control, uninterrupted powerfulness proviso and ventilation systems.
Once operational, it volition amended civilian and subject mobility crossed the Zojila Pass, which remains closed for astir 3 months each wintertime owed to dense snowfall.
Strategic significance
The Zojila Tunnel, regarded arsenic 1 of the longest azygous conduit bi-directional roadworthy tunnels astatine this altitude, is expected to beryllium a strategical plus for Ladakh, which lies betwixt Pakistan to the westbound and China to the east.
The portion assumed heightened value aft the Kargil struggle of 1999 and consequent tensions on the Line of Actual Control, including the 2020 basal off.
Limited connectivity during wintertime months has historically posed challenges for logistics and deployment. The passageway is portion of a broader effort to make aggregate strategical entree routes to Ladakh. These see the Rohtang corridor linking Himachal Pradesh, the projected connectivity done the Zanskar region, and the Zojila axis connecting Jammu and Kashmir.
Together, these corridors are expected to fortify subject mobility and logistical preparedness.
All upwind connectivity
The passageway bypasses the Zojila Pass, which is prone to landslides and rockfall and remains inaccessible successful winter.
During the Kargil conflict, the Srinagar Kargil road was susceptible to shelling, peculiarly successful the Drass sector. This affected the question of troops and supplies during the 53 time conflict.
Efforts to amended alternate access, including the Ladakh Himachal axis, person helped but stay play dependent, typically opening successful May and closing by November.
The Zojila Tunnel is expected to code this regulation by ensuring uninterrupted connectivity passim the year.
Reduced question clip and logistics support
The project, estimated to outgo implicit ₹6,800 crore, volition importantly chopped question clip betwixt Ganderbal and Kargil from astir 3 hours to astir 20 minutes, officials said.
The passageway infrastructure includes 4 culverts, 4 Nilgrar tunnels, 8 chopped and screen sections and a vertical ventilation shaft of astir 220 metres. The occidental portal is located astatine Baltal and the eastbound portal astatine Minimarg.
Once operational, the passageway is expected to facilitate twelvemonth circular transport of supplies to precocious altitude areas successful Ladakh. At present, provisions for wintertime months are mostly pre positioned successful beforehand up of snowfall.
Security forces successful Ladakh beryllium heavy connected aboveground connectivity for the question of goods and personnel. The task lies on National Highway 1, with elevations ranging from astir 2,700 metres to 3,300 metres, linking Sonamarg successful Jammu and Kashmir to Minimarg successful Ladakh.
