Zoji-la Tunnel

Zoji La Tunnel is a 14.2 km long road tunnel under Zoji La pass in the Himalayas between Sonmarg and Drass town in Kargil district of the Indian Union Territory of Ladakh, currently under construction, with completion expected about 5-7 years after commencement of construction in 2018.[1] The tunnel along with 6.5 km long Z-Morh Tunnel, (which is 22 km before Zoji La tunnel towards Srinagar)[2] will ensure year-long road connectivity between Srinagar and Kargil which currently remains closed for about seven months due to heavy snowfall on the Zoji La pass which is situated at an altitude of 3,528 m (11,578 feet) on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway. Zoji La is 15 km from Sonamarg and provides a vital link with Drass and Kargil in Ladakh but remains closed for 6-7 months (from November to May) during winter due to heavy snow fall & snow avalanches.

Zoji La Tunnel
Overview
LocationZoji La, Ladakh, India
Coordinates34°16′44″N 75°28′19″E
StatusActive
RouteNH1
Operation
Work begun15 October 2020
OperatorNational Highways and Infrastructure Development Limited (NHIDCL) under MoRT&H
TrafficMotor vehicles
Technical
No. of lanesTwo (one in each direction)
Road to Zoji La Pass from Srinagar

For the mountain pass in Ladakh, see Zoji La.

It takes more than 3 hours to cross the pass but the tunnel will reduce the time. This tunnel was a strategic requirement of the army and the Ladakhi people as the pass is close to LOC and vulnerable to hostile actions. Zoji La was re-captured from Pakistani raiders under Operation Bison.[3]

The Zoji La tunnel project was approved by the Government of India in January 2018 and the commencement of its construction was inaugurated by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in May 2018.[4] The tunnel will be built under EPC mode (engineering, procurement, construction) wherein the Government of India will provide the money and the executing agency will do the construction and will later hand over the project to the Government of India. Earlier it was supposed to be built under PPP mode where private player was supposed to make the investment and later recover via toll but despite calling for bids five times since 2013, no bid came for one time and for rest only single private player showed interest thus each time bid was cancelled.[5]

Features
  • Its construction period will be five years because of a very difficult terrain where in some areas the temperature drops to minus 45 degree Celsius.
  • The project aims at construction of 14.2 km long two-lane bi-directional single tube tunnel with a parallel 14.2 km long egress tunnel. The western portal is at Baltal at about 3,000 m altitude (about 400 m lower than the altitude of the existing highway there), about 15 km east of Sonmarg. The eastern portal after Zoji La is at Minamarg towards the Dras / Kargil end. The length of the tunnel does not include the lengths of the approach roads to both ends of the tunnel from the existing highway.
  • Planned as a smart tunnel, it will have the latest safety features such as fully transverse ventilation system, uninterrupted power supply, emergency lighting, CCTV monitoring, variable message signs, traffic logging equipment and tunnel radio system.
  • The safety features will include emergency telephones and fire-fighting cabinets at every 125 metre, pedestrian cross-passages at every 250 metre and motorable cross passages and lay-bye at every 750 metre.
  • The civil construction cost of the project is ₹ 4,900 crore. The total capital cost of the project is ₹6,800 crore. It includes the cost of land, resettlement and rehabilitation and other pre-construction activities as well as maintenance and operation cost of the tunnel for four years.
  • Defense forces have to face a hard time ensuring supplies to border posts during winters across Zoji La pass which is most strategic for the entire Kargil sector which has seen intrusion and war in the past. The tunnel will help keep the highway open for the entire year.

Project timelines
  • October 2013: Cabinet approves the road tunnel project. [6]
  • May 2017: Four private players bid for the ₹10,000 crore project namely L&T, ILFS, Jaypee Infratech and Reliance Infra.[7]
  • June 2017: Contract to be awarded to the bidders by June end and work to start in August 2017. [8]
  • July 2017: IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd, the firm which developed Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel emerged as lowest cost bidder for the tunnel. It quoted cost of ₹4,899 crore (US$687 million), and a period of 7 years to construct tunnel.[9]
  • January 2018: Union Cabinet approves tunnel to be built at a cost of ₹6,809 crore (US$955 million) including land acquisition cost. Tunnel to be ready in five years.[10]
  • May 2018: Foundation stone laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and work starts.[11]
  • March 2019: The project is to be bid again as earlier developer IL&FS has gone bankrupt.[12]
  • June 2020: Fresh bids invited for construction of tunnel.[13]
  • Aug 2020: MEIL (Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd) emerges as lowest bidder for the tender with quoted price of ₹4509 crores.[14] MEIL will construct the tunnel. [15] [16]
  • October 2020: On 15 October 2020, Minister of Highways, Nitin Gadkari initiated the first blast for the all weather Zoji-la tunnel on NH1. [17] This marked the beginning of the construction of the tunnel. The event was attended by Union Ministers of State Jitendra Singh and V. K. Singh

See also

References
  1. Parveen, Rahiba R. (19 May 2018). "Zoji-La tunnel will be a boon for the armed forces and for tourists too". The Print. India. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
  2. Ali, Muddasir (27 March 2014). "Work on 6.5 km Z-Morh tunnel to begin this year". Greater Kashmir News. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  3. "Zojila battle of 1948 — when Indians surprised Pakistan with tanks at 11,553 ft,". The Print. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
  4. "PM Modi inaugurates Zojila project in Leh: All you need to know about India's longest tunnel". Indian Express. 19 May 2018. Retrieved 23 December 2018.
  5. "Work On Zojila Pass Tunnel In J&K To Commence On August 15, NHIDCL Says". Bloombergquint.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  6. "Union Cabinet approved all-weather Zojila Tunnel Project". Jagranjosh.com. 18 October 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  7. Kondratieva, Ksenia (1 June 2017). "4 players in race for ₹10,000-cr Zojila tunnel". Thehindubusinessline.com. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  8. "Work on Zoji-la Tunnel to begin on August 15". Kashmirobserver.net. 6 June 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2017.
  9. "IL&FS bags Rs 4,899-crore Zojila tunnel project in rebidding". Ibtimes.co.in.
  10. "Cabinet approves Zojila tunnel for Rs 6809 cr; construction in 5 yrs". Dailyexcelsior.com.
  11. "Zoji La Tunnel for all-weather Kashmir-Ladakh road; PM Modi to lay foundation stone of big infra project". Financialexpress. 16 May 2018. Retrieved 16 May 2018.
  12. https://www.dnaindia.com/business/report-ilfs-hit-zojila-tunnel-project-goes-for-rebid-2726474
  13. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/roadways/fresh-bids-invited-for-zojila-tunnel-ladakh-road/articleshow/76313138.cms
  14. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/megha-engineering-lowest-bidder-for-zojila-tunnel-quotes-rs-4509-cr-for-project/articleshow/77677323.cms
  15. https://www.deccanherald.com/business/business-news/megha-engineering-company-to-build-zojila-pass-tunnel-project-876159.html
  16. https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/infrastructure/zojila-tunnel-project-awarded-to-hyderabad-based-megha-engineering/articleshow/77755618.cms
  17. https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/gadkari-to-initiate-first-blasting-of-all-weather-zojila-tunnel-between-srinagar-and-leh/story-M1IzoZ93isMJjqgRP8C4YO.html
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