64% work completed but cost overrun likely; over Rs 3,900 cr spent; 77% locals employed in project
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: The strategically-important Zojila Tunnel project has been pushed back by nearly one and a half years, with the executing agency now rescheduling its completion to February 2028. The project, which aims to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh, has so far recorded over 64 percent physical progress.
Out of the total sanctioned cost of Rs 6,809 crore, an expenditure of Rs 3,934.42 crore, which amounts to more than 57 percent, has already been incurred. The delay is likely to lead to a cost overrun, officials indicated.
The Zojila Tunnel, touted as the longest tunnel in Southeast Asia, holds strategic importance given Ladakh’s sensitive geographical location and its long border with aggressive China. The mega infrastructure project comprises a 13.153 km tunnel and approach roads of 17.030 km, bringing the total stretch to 30.18 km.
Despite delays and other challenges, the pace of construction appears satisfactory. The project achieved nearly 12 percent physical progress in just one year. On August 8 last year, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Jairam Gadkari had informed that the tunnel had already reached 52 percent completion by then.
“The Zojila tunnel project commenced with an initial scheduled completion date of September 29, 2026. The project has been delayed due to multiple factors, including the impact of the Covid- 19 pandemic, a terrorist attack at the Sonamarg Tunnel Project, and extreme adverse weather conditions. The current physical progress stands at 64 percent, and the project is now targeted for completion by February 2028,” Gadkari said while responding to a query of NC member Mian Altaf Ahmad in Lok Sabha today.
The Union Minister disclosed that the total cost of the project was Rs. 6,809 crore, out of which an expenditure of Rs. 3934.42 crore has been incurred so far.
On October 20, 2024, terrorists carried out one of the biggest and deadly attacks on construction workers, associated with the Z-Morh Tunnel project at Gagangir, in more than three decades of violence in J&K, killings six migrant workers and a camp doctor. Despite the tragedy, the tunnel was later completed and officially inaugurated in January 2025, after which it was renamed the Sonamarg Tunnel.
Asked about employment to local workers from Ganderbal district in the project, the minister said, “As per the information available with National Highways Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), a total of 1,141 individuals are currently employed in the Zojila Tunnel Project. Of these, 77 percent are from the Union Territory of J&K and 28 percent of the overall workforce is from the Ganderbal district”.
Pertinently, the tunnel is being constructed through the treacherous Zojila Pass, located at an altitude of around 12,000 feet (3,530 metres), making it the fourth highest pass in the country. Of the 30-km stretch from Sonamarg in Kashmir to Gumri near Zojila, a 10-km section is particularly challenging due to steep ravines, vertical cliffs, and avalanche-prone terrain.
The all-weather road connectivity has always remained a major challenge in Ladakh as the region faces shortage of essential commodities and goods when both the highways to Ladakh (second is Leh-Manali highway) remain closed in winters.
Zojila tunnel, once completed, is expected to transform accessibility to Ladakh besides proving to be a logistical game-changer for both civilians and the armed forces.
