Making The Third Axis To Ladakh All-Weather: India To Begin Construction Of Tunnel Under Shinku-La Pass This September

In pursuit of making the third axis of connectivity to Ladakh, the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) route, all-weather, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will start construction of a tunnel under the Shinku La Pass from mid-September.

The 4.1-kilometre tunnel will be excavated at 15,800-feet under the 16,615-feet high Shinku La pass and will become the world's highest tunnel, even surpassing the Chinese Mila tunnel at 15,590 feet.

This March, BRO successfully completed the strategic 298 kilometre NPD route in Ladakh.

The tunnel will be on the NPD route that already provides a third axis of connectivity to Ladakh from the rest of India and is shorter than the existing two routes.

The other two routes to Ladakh are the Srinagar-Drass-Kargil NH-1D highway, which goes over the high Zoji-La pass at 11,575 feet, and the treacherous Manali-Sarchu-Leh highway.

Both these routes are usually blocked for about six months each winter because of heavy snow and avalanches.

The Srinagar-Drass-Kargil route has been the relatively easier way to reach Ladakh, going through Jammu and Kashmir. This route includes crossing the Zoji-La pass at 11,575 feet, which is often closed in winter due to heavy snow and avalanches.

Two tunnels, the Z-Morh in Sonmarg and the 14-kilometre-long Zoji-La tunnel, are being built to keep this route open all year.

However, this path runs dangerously close to the Line of Control (LoC) at Drass with Pakistan. The Kargil war of 1999 was launched to sever the NH-1D that passes very close to Drass to isolate Leh and Siachen.

On the other hand, the Manali-Leh highway that starts in Himachal Pradesh and crosses five major high-altitude passes, viz, the Rohtang Pass (13,058 ft), Baralacha-La pass (15,910 ft), Nakee-La pass (15,547 ft), Lachulung-La pass (16,600 ft), and finally the highest, Tanglang-La pass (17,480 ft).

The Atal Tunnel's opening beneath Rohtang Pass in October 2020 offers some relief, yet the average elevation of the remaining four passes still exceeds 15,000 feet, challenging both, vehicles and people traversing the route.

The low-oxygen content and bone-chilling cold at these high altitudes make these passes extremely difficult to cross.

The new NPD route will ease all these issues.

The tunnel under Shinku La pass will make it all-weather. The NPD route will also save five-to-six hours when traveling from Manali to Leh.

The third axis of connectivity to Leh, provided by the NPD route, holds strategic importance for the Indian Army, especially considering the ongoing four-year standoff with Chinese forces in Ladakh.

This additional route ensures a more reliable and faster supply chain for troops stationed in the region's remote areas.

In the face of heightened tensions and the need for rapid deployment and re-supply of military assets, the NPD route offers a critical alternative to the existing paths, which are susceptible to natural blockades and proximity to adversarial lines.