Prime Minister Narendra Modi can come to Ladakh by December 2027 and dedicate this project to the country. File photo.
Vivek Singh, Jammu. Asia's highest Zoji La Tunnel, which is being built to connect Ladakh to the country by road for the whole year, will bring new hopes for the Ladakhis. As soon as the excavation work of the tunnel from Kashmir and Dras ends by the month of May this year, the countdown for opening this tunnel for traffic will start.
At present, amidst heavy snowfall in Zoji La, the construction work of this 13.150 km long tunnel at a height of 11,578 feet is going on in full swing. This tunnel costing about Rs 6800 crore is being built by Megha Engineering Infrastructure Limited.
Workers and engineers engaged in tunnel construction work from Baltal in Kashmir and Meenamarg in Kargil are currently facing the dangers of extreme cold, heavy snowfall and avalanches to carry forward one of the most challenging infrastructure development projects in the country.
About 12 kilometers of tunnel has been excavated
Breakthrough of the tunnel being dug from both sides is almost certain by the month of May. About 12 kilometers of tunnel has been excavated and currently work is going on on both sides to excavate the remaining one kilometer of tunnel. After the breakthrough, a campaign will be launched to make the tunnel traffic-worthy.
Workers and engineers engaged in tunnel construction work from Baltal in Kashmir and Meenamarg in Kargil are currently facing the dangers of extreme cold, heavy snowfall and avalanches to carry forward one of the most challenging infrastructure development projects in the country.
Himveer of the Border Roads Organization is making full efforts to prepare the tunnel in the stipulated time. If everything remains normal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi can come to Ladakh by December 2027 and dedicate this project to the country.
Continuous snowfall covered the inaccessible terrain
An engineer involved in the construction of the project says that continuous snowfall has covered the inaccessible terrain. Amidst these extremely difficult circumstances, our team is dealing with every kind of challenge. The Zojila Tunnel Project is not just an engineering marvel, but a symbol of determination and willpower that will ensure uninterrupted all-weather connectivity in difficult terrain like Ladakh of India.
He said that out of the 13.25 kilometer length, 12 kilometer tunnel has been excavated. Now the remaining approximately one kilometer tunnel is being excavated. The best technical methods are being used for tunnel construction. All international safety norms have been strictly implemented in the project. In these, complex geology, problems of water seepage and risks of tunnel collapse have been effectively dealt with.
Every Ladakhi dreams that Zoji La Tunnel should be completed soon.
Sajjad Kargili, a resident of Kargil, says that it is the dream of every Ladakhi that the Joji La Tunnel be completed soon. This will start a new chapter of road travel in Ladakh. During the winter months, travel in Joji Pass is risky due to heavy snowfall. The pace of life in Ladakh slows down due to closure of Zoji La Pass due to excessive snowfall. By making it an unmatched example of engineering, the inflow of tourists will increase significantly as it will become easier to reach Kargil from Kashmir side.
Zoji La will bring a new dawn of development in Ladakh
Lieutenant Governor of Union Territory Ladakh, Kavindra Gupta, says that Zojila will bring a new dawn of development in the region. This tunnel, Asia's highest, will be a symbol of the Modi government's commitment and strong intentions to accelerate development. Upon completion, this tunnel will be a big gift from the Modi government to the Ladakhis. There is sure to be a huge crowd in Ladakh to see this. After the tunnel is built, it will be the dream of every Indian to reach Ladakh through it.
Due to the continuous efforts of the Central Government, this ambitious project of infrastructure development is rapidly moving towards completion. With the construction of this tunnel, Ladakh will remain connected with the country by road throughout the year. This will strengthen development, tourism in the region and also the strategic preparedness of the army guarding the borders. We are trying our best to ensure that the construction work of this tunnel continues at full speed. Ladakh administration is giving full support for the early construction of this tunnel.
Construction of Joji La Tunnel is full of challenges
The construction of Joji La Tunnel at an altitude of about twelve thousand feet is full of challenges. From Sonamarg in Kashmir to Meenamarg in Dras, there are 52 such places where heavy avalanches occur during the winter months. About 5-6 meters of snow accumulates every year on the huge Zoji La Pass. The temperature in this area sometimes falls below minus 28 degrees Celsius in the month of January.
The route of 10 km out of 30 km from Sonamarg tourist spot in Kashmir to Joji La Pass, Gumri is extremely difficult due to steep hills. There is a danger of avalanche there in winter. In such difficult conditions, the engineers working in Zoji La area have maintained the pace of tunnel construction during the winter months, facing the challenges of difficult weather.
5 thousand crores saved due to use of modern technology in the project
The country has saved Rs 5,000 crore by using modern technology in the construction of Joji La Tunnel. There is also an eighteen km approach road along the tunnel. When the tender was floated for the fifth time, the government had fixed its price at Rs 12 thousand crores. After considering new technologies for the construction of this tunnel for a year, a target was set to complete this project for Rs 6800 crores.
Austrian tunneling method is being used in the construction of the tunnel. Using new technologies, Rs 5,000 crore has been saved in the cost of tunnel construction. The construction of the tunnel was approved on October 17, 2013. For the first time, after the approval of the Cabinet Committee, only one agency came forward, due to which the process had to be cancelled. The same thing happened for the second and third time and the government was forced to cancel the process. Whereas in 2015, after inviting tenders for the fourth time, the tender was awarded to the only bidder who came forward, there were allegations of favoritism and corruption and it was cancelled.
This tunnel is 7.57 meters high and horseshoe shaped.
This tunnel is 7.57 meters high and horseshoe shaped. The one-tube tunnel has two lanes. This tunnel is passing under the Zoji La Pass in the Himalayas between Ganderbal in central Kashmir and Dras town in Kargil district of Ladakh. This tunnel will facilitate the movement of heavy military equipment throughout the year in Ladakh, bordering Pakistan and China.
A separate walkway of 1.5 meters wide will be built for the maintenance of the tunnel. After every 750 metres, a wide stretch of 40 meters long has been created so that vehicles can be parked there in case of emergency. To protect against snow, the tunnel will have extensive snow protection infrastructure, catch dams, air blast, protection walls and deflector dams for a distance of six kilometers.
Once completed, the Zoji La Tunnel will reduce the travel time between Kashmir and Leh by approximately three and a half hours. This will boost tourism, improve the supply of essential commodities, benefit local communities and strengthen the strategic preparedness of the Army in sensitive border areas.