(Aditya Shaw, Intern Journalist): Another tunnel is going to be built in Himachal Pradesh amidst ongoing tension with China in eastern Ladakh. In view of the strategic importance of Manali Leh-Marg, the process of constructing this tunnel in Shinkula Pass has now been expedited. Earlier, in Himachal Pradesh, BRO has built Atal Tunnel.
The tunnel built at Shinkula Pass will be the longest tunnel in the world. The tunnel built at an altitude of 16000 feet will be 13.5 km long. After the construction of the tunnel, the road facility will be available for 12 months to Leh. Experts said the 9.2 km long horseshoe-shaped single-tube, two-lane tunnel – the world’s longest motorable tunnel more than 3,000 meters above sea level – was an important effort by the Ministry of Defense to build 475 km long Manali Step.
The Keylong-Leh Highway, used primarily by the Armed Forces to reach Ladakh in areas bordering China and Pakistan, is motor-round-the-year. The distance between Manali and Kargil will be reduced. Officials acknowledge with the completion of the Rohtang Pass tunnel, the Indian government’s attention now shifts to the strategic importance of Ladakh, the third route for the construction of the Shinkula Tunnel.
At present the detachment to Ladakh is routed through two routes – the 434-km Srinagar-Kargil-Leh pass through the Zojila Pass and the 475-km Manali-Leh. But due to heavy snowfall, they remain cut off from the rest of the country for six months.
For Kargil, the troop from Manali is via Leh which is 700 km long. With the construction of the Darcha-Nimmu-Padum road through the Shinkula tunnel, the distance between Manali and Kargil will be reduced to 522 km. Construction of double lane road to be completed by 2023 from Darcha where BRO has completed the longest steel truss bridge, just 360 meters long, a road leading to Shinkula, the shortest route leading to the remote Zanskar region towards the Padma. , Which is about 30 km from Leh, and Hawaii Manali-Leh Highway on the other side.
The 297-kilometer Darcha-Nimmu-Padum road has been identified as the third strategic alternative to Ladakh in view of threats from Pakistan and China. Officials said the double lane road is under construction and expected to be completed by 2023. The road facility will be available for the whole year The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Authority team under the Ministry of Surface Transport has prepared the outline of the Shinkula Tunnel.
Recently last week, National Highways and Development Authority Managing Director and Executive Director Sanjeev Malik reached Shinkula Tunnel North Portal to take stock of the geological survey work, so that the DPR of Shinkula Tunnel work will be submitted to the Ministry of Defense soon. After the construction of this tunnel, 12 months road facility will be available for Leh. The all-weather road is also required, according to the officer, All-Weather Road is required for more tunnels like Rohtang Pass.
The original 475 km Manali-Leh road for connectivity in Shinkula is located. From Keylong, the district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, the road leads from Darcha to Leh, about 170 km from Manali. The Manali-Leh route is 475 km, while the Manali-Darcha-Padum-Leh route is 444 km. China will be monitored in a better way: With the construction of these tunnels, China can be monitored better. At the same time, the movement of the army in the border areas will also become easier.
To build this tunnel, the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Authority team under the Ministry of Surface Transport has prepared the tunnel design. Recently, the managing director and executive director of the authority, Sanjeev Malik, took stock of the geological survey work, so that the DPR of Shinkula Tunnel would be handed over to the Ministry of Defense soon.
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