Zojila tunnel set to give country a strategic edge

SRINAGAR: Asia’s longest bi-directional road tunnel connecting Sonmarg in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Gumri in Kargil once completed will provide a strategic edge to the Army’s Leh-based 14 Corps that oversees military deployment along the frontiers with China and Pakistan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of the 14.2 kilometre-long Zojila tunnel to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh with the rest of the country at a function at Leh.

The tunnel is being constructed at the cost of ₹6,809 crores and is going to reduce the time required to cross the Zojila pass to 15 minutes from the existing 3.5 hours. The present route is vulnerable to landslides and avalanches.

A senior army officer posted in the region said the tunnel would be a big strategic boost for the troops based in Kargil and Leh.

“Once the tunnel will get complete, it will give a strategic edge to the army. The existing road remains closed for six months in a year. During winter all the logistics and deployment used to take place via air. Once the allweather road is built, troops and logistics could be moved at any time of the year at a short notice,’’ the officer said seeking anonymity as he’s not authorised to speak to the media.

The tunnel could come handy in case there were hostilities between India and Pakistan along the Line of Control (LoC) or tension along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, the officer added.

The state government officials said the tunnel would also give a big push to tourism industry, especially in the Ladakh region.

Locals say that the construction of the tunnel was a long cherished demand of the people of Ladakh, especially those living in Kargil district.

“When Prime Minister had visited Kargil in 2014, he was presented with a list of demands by the locals and the construction of Zojila tunnel was on the top of the list. ‘It’s going to help the common people of Ladakh in many ways. It will promote the socio-economy of the region and will boost tourism sector,’’ said Murtuza Ali who runs a hotel in Kargil.

“It will also give India a strategic advantage as it faces hostilities from both China and Pakistan in this area,’’ he said, adding that Kargil war is still fresh in the minds of people here.