Nitin Gadkari calls for speeding up work on strategic Zojila Tunnel to open ahead of deadline

Union Minister for Transport and Roadways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who inspected the strategically important Zojila Tunnel that connects the Kashmir valley with the Union Territory of Ladakh on Monday, said it will realise the dream to have an all-weather road from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. 

Union Minister for Transport and Roadways Minister Nitin Gadkari, who inspected the strategically important Zojila Tunnel that connects the Kashmir valley with the Union Territory of Ladakh on Monday, said it will realise the dream to have an all-weather road from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. 

Mr. Gadkari said efforts are being made to open the tunnel for traffic ahead of its deadline set for 2026. “We are planning to open part of the project earlier than 2026,” Mr. Gadkari said.

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He said the importance of connecting Kashmir and Ladakh was strongly felt by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee during the Kargil war between India and Pakistan. “We will get the tunnel open as soon as possible,” he added.

The decision to speed up work comes at a time when troops of India and China are eyeball to eyeball in parts of Ladakh since the Galwan incident in 2020. India has matched its build up to the Chinese along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

Sonamarg is an important route for troops to reach Ladakh. However, the Zojila Pass becomes inaccessible for more than three months in winter and is prone to accidents due to shooting stones and landslides. The tunnel will provide round-the-year transportation of goods to Ladakh and better movement of the armed forces in case of emergency.

The work on the strategically important tunnel has continued even during harsh winters in Kashmir’s Sonamarg area. “Engineers and workers have worked even in minus 26 degree Celsius. Two workers lost their lives at the site,” Mr. Gadkari said.