India nears completion of strategic Himalayan tunnel near China border

Indian engineers have achieved a significant milestone by breaking through the final rock section of the strategic Zojila tunnel, a crucial infrastructure project designed to ensure all-weather connectivity to the frontier Ladakh region bordering China. This breakthrough marks a major step toward providing year-round access, vital for trade, troop movement, and supply lines in the strategically sensitive Himalayan area.

The 13.14-kilometer tunnel, located in the Himalayas, will connect the plains of India with Leh, the key city in Ladakh, and Srinagar, the main city in Indian-occupied Kashmir. Currently, heavy snowfall blocks road access during winter, sometimes for months. The Zojila tunnel passes beneath the 3,528-meter Zojila Pass, overcoming these seasonal challenges.

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This is not just a tunnel but a lifeline

India's Minister of Roads, Nitin Gadkari, hailed the tunnel as a "lifeline" during a breakthrough ceremony. The project involved over 3,000 workers since 2020, excavating the tunnel under challenging weather conditions. Project engineer Manmohan Singh told AFP that the work was completed "without any accident."

This tunnel is part of a broader network of major infrastructure projects in the region, including four large tunnels and a significant railway line connecting the lowland plains with occupied Kashmir. The railway project includes the Chenab Rail Bridge, currently the world's highest of its kind. These developments underscore India's focus on bolstering its infrastructure in the border regions, particularly in the context of its ongoing rivalry and border tensions with China.

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We have worked for this tunnel day and night in challenging weather conditions, and completed it without any accident