Zojila,
India: Indian engineers have broken through the final rock section of the
strategic Zojila tunnel through a Himalayan mountain, marking a milestone in
providing all-weather access to the frontier Ladakh region bordering China.
The
tunnel forms part of a broader infrastructure push, creating a link that will
allow trade, troops, and supplies to move year-round from India's lowland
plains to the soaring icy border zones. "This is not just a tunnel but a
lifeline," said India's Minister of Roads Nitin Gadkari during a
breakthrough ceremony on Tuesday. The 13.14-kilometre tunnel will connect two
sides otherwise cut off by snow during bitter winters, with road travel
currently blocked during winter due to heavy snowfall.
More
than 3,000 workers have been involved since 2020 in excavating the tunnel,
which passes beneath the 3,528-metre Zojila Pass. Gadkari pressed a button to
remotely trigger the final blast, connecting tunnels dug from both sides and
creating what will be India's longest road tunnel. "We have worked for
this tunnel day and night in challenging weather conditions, and completed it
without any accident," project engineer Manmohan Singh told AFP.
The project is part of a broader network of four major tunnels, including the Sonamarg tunnel, a $712 million initiative expected to be fully operational by 2028. India has also developed a $3.9 billion railway line connecting the lowland plains with Kashmir, including the Chenab Rail Bridge, the highest of its kind in the world. Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the railway route in June 2025. India and China, intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia, share a 3,500-kilometre frontier that has been a perennial source of tension.
