Zojila tunnel work space, deadline advanced to 2024

What is the News?

Zojila tunnel will be opened for defence forces and emergency services by 2024, two years ahead of the 2026 deadline. This will ensure that the mobilization of the Army and machines to the strategic cold desert is no longer affected by closure of five or six months due to snowfall.

What is Zoji La Tunnel?

Zoji La Tunnel is a single-tube road tunnel under Zoji La pass in the Himalayas

The tunnel will connect Baltal in Kashmir with Minamarg in Ladakh. This will reduce travel time by two-and-a-half hours. 

Once completed, Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bidirectional tunnel.

What is the strategic significance of the Zoji La Tunnel?

The need for Zoji La tunnel was first felt during the 1999 Kargil war, and the recent incursions by China made it an urgent necessity. The tunnel will provide logistics flexibility and operational mobility to the Army.

What is Zoji La Pass?

Zoji La is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh. Zoji la is also known as the “Mountain Pass of Blizzards”.

The pass links Leh and Srinagar and provides an important link between the Union Territories of Ladakh and Kashmir.

Zojila pass remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off the Ladakh region from Kashmir.

Source: ​This post is based on the article “Zojila tunnel work space, deadline advanced to 2024” published in The Hindu on 29th March 2022.