Shortest All-Weather Road To Ladakh: BRO Builds 298-Km Long Strategic Road Along Nimmu-Padum-Darcha Route

In a significant development, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) successfully linked the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on 25 March.

This 298-kilometre road is poised to establish crucial connectivity from Manali to Leh, traversing through Darcha and Nimmu along the Kargil–Leh highway. The road starts at Nimo, which lies on the Leh-Srinagar highway, 35 km before Leh.

The Ministry of Defence highlighted this milestone in a press release issued on Tuesday (26 March), noting that the road now serves as the third axis connecting Ladakh to the hinterland, complementing the existing Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes.

The road is aligned along the course of Zanskar river till Padum, after which it follows the Lungnak river till Purne village and the Kurgiakh river till Shinkun La pass, which is located on the border of Himachal and Ladakh. It meets Manali-Leh highway in Darcha, a village in Lahaul And Spiti district.

The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road holds strategic significance due to its shorter length compared to the other two axes. The most critical missing link in this route to Ladakh is a tunnel, which has to come up at Shinkun La.

The BRO is set to commence work on 4.5 km long tunnel under the Shinkun La pass to ensure all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region at a cost of Rs 1,681.5 crore.

This tunnel aims to provide all-weather connectivity to Ladakh's border areas, ensuring swift movement of troops and heavy weaponry. Importantly, the tunnel will be designed to withstand long-range artillery shelling or missile firings from neighbouring countries like China and Pakistan, bolstering defence preparedness in the region.

This enhanced connectivity is also expected to spur economic development in the Zanskar valley, as highlighted by the ministry.

Director General of Border Roads, Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan, expressed satisfaction over the timely completion of the connectivity project, noting that equipment and personnel were mobilised during January when the River Zanskar was frozen, reports Economic Times.

He expressed confidence that black-topping work on the road will commence shortly. With the commencement of construction on the Shinkun La tunnel, the establishment of the third all-weather axis to Ladakh will soon become a reality, Lt Gen Srinivasan added.