5-km of Zojila tunnel completed in record 14 months, work in full swing

Deep Sharma. Updated: 1/18/2022 10:26:15 AM Front Page

Jammu: Aimed at making Ladakh-Srinagar road an all weather connectivity despite heavy snowfall, the work on Zojila Morh tunnel is in full swing and out of the total 13.5 kilometers of the road, five kilometers of stretch has been completed in a record 14 months time frame.
“The work on Zojila tunnel is underway at full pace to provide all weather road connectivity to Ladakh to the rest of the world via Srinagar,” official sources said.
He said, “the work has already been expedited and it resulted in completion of a five kilometer road stretch of tunnel in a record 14 months, which is a great achievement,” they said.
Union Minister for Roads and Transport, Nitin Gadkari in September reviewed the construction work of the Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
Gadkari had said that Sonmarg is an attractive destination for tourists but due to lack of road infrastructure the people don’t visit due to which the local people are facing lots of difficulties during winter season and they do not get gas, fuel and vegetables for around 6 months.
“After the construction of the tunnel it will change the life of the people and we are trying to open this tunnel for normal traffic a year ahead of the official deadline which is December 2023,” said the Minister.
Notably, the government is constructing a total of 52-km of tunnels in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and there will be 20 tunnels in J&K, while 11 in Ladakh with a total cost of Rs 1 lakh 40,000 cr.
Meanwhile official sources further said, “the construction of Zojila tunnel is being executed by the Megha Engineering and Infrastructure, one of the leading companies in the infrastructure sector,” adding, “the facilities are aimed to ensure seamless road connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh throughout the year.”
Zojila Tunnel is being constructed at Nilgar-1, 2 and Main Tunnel at an altitude of 3,528 meters above sea level.
“Depite adverse weather conditions, the construction work remained continue with full pace,” sources added and said that Zojila Tunnel—the Asia’s longest tunnel is also important development project of the country from strategic point of view.
“The team of the construction company has executed the project with dedication despite odd conditions of minus 30 degree Celsius,” sources added.
“The construction of tunnel will improve the economic activities in the region as well as provide a greatest access to Indian Army to deploy its man and machine in forward posts in Ladakh,” sources said adding that the construction of Zojila tunnel had begun in October 2020 with a total outlay of Rs 2300 cr.
This bi-directional tunnel will provide all weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonmarg and will boost the economic activities in the region.
As per the official, this 6.5 km long stretch will also help the locals to provide round the year connectivity.
“Both Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh Lieutenant Governors (LGs) are engaged in this process and it has also been conveyed to both of them by the Union Minister that do not allow people to randomly open hotels and ‘taparis’ (small makeshift shops) and proper locations should be identified to facilitate them,” sources added.
Zojila Tunnel, which is envisaged to provide all-weather connectivity to Union Territory (UT) of Ladakh to Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir, will be completed at the cost of Rs 4,500 crore. The ceremonial blast of Zojila tunnel was done on October 15, 2020.
The tunnel will also boost the tourism sector of both the Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir UTs and keep the hassle-free movement of the armed forces during any weather conditions.
Zojila tunnel is of a significant importance with regard to national security and development to both UTs as it will provide round the year connectivity to Ladakh region- Kargil and Leh.
The project site of Zojila tunnel is located at the existing highway (NH-01) starting from Sonamarg (UT of J&K) and ending at Minamarg (UT of Ladakh) at an elevation ranging from 2,700 m to 3,300 m, thus making the Zojila Tunnel (13.2 km) the longest tunnel at this elevation in Asia region.
“The present site location falls into seismic zone IV and all precautionary measures have been provisioned to safeguard the structures provisioned in the project,” sources revealed.
The alternative routes are long-winding and time-consuming, resulting in huge expenditures and moreover, these alternative routes are closer to the Indo-China and Indo-Pakistan borders,adding, “therefore a strategic alternative was the need of the hour and the Zojila tunnel project comes in.”

Updated On 1/18/2022 10:27:31 AM


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