First blasting for initiating the construction of Zojila Tunnel has been done in Ganderbal district. The proposed tunnel will aid the military presence in the area and provide the much-needed impetus to its strategic schemes.
Know the significance of this tunnel for the nation
- It is expected to be 14.15-km-long tunnel at an altitude of about 3,000 m under the Zojila pass (presently motorable only for six months in a year) on NH-1 connecting Srinagar and Leh through Drass and Kargil.
- The sophisticated tunnel will also bolster our defence in view of the increasing military engagements along the borders in Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan regions.
- As of now, the Zojila Pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh national highway and remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall.
- Even today the area remains one of the most dangerous stretches in the world to drive making this project geo-strategically sensitive. It will make the travel on the 434-km Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Section of NH-1 free from avalanches, enhance safety and reduce the travel time as well.
- The tunnel assumes significance since it will provide all-weather connectivity between the Srinagar valley and Leh on NH-1, and aid the all-round economic and socio–cultural integration of J&K.
- The speed limit inside the tunnel is likely to be the same as 80 kmph in the Atal tunnel, which is more than 10,000 feet above sea level.
- The project was first conceptualised in 2005 and its Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by BRO in the year 2013. After several failed attempts to award the project, it was eventually given to NHIDCL in July 2016.
- Envisioned by the former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Narendra Modi finally laid the foundation for the Zojila tunnel back in May 2018. The cost of the project is estimated at around ₹6,800 crore.
- Once completed, it will prove to be a landmark achievement in the history of modern India.