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Shinkun La Project: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the Kargil War Memorial in Drass, Ladakh on Friday on the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas and will carry out the first blast of the strategically important Shinkun La tunnel project. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) gave this information in a statement on Thursday. According to the PMO, the project will provide all-weather connectivity to Leh and will be the world’s highest tunnel when completed. Officials said that the ‘first blast’ is important as it marks the beginning of the construction of the tunnel. The Prime Minister will do this through remote from the Kargil War Memorial in Drass.
The PMO said that on the occasion of 25th Kargil Vijay Diwas on 26th July, at around 9.20 am, the Prime Minister will visit the Kargil War Memorial and pay homage to the brave men who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.
What is the Shinkun La Tunnel Project
The Shinkun La tunnel project consists of a 4.1 kilometre long double-tube tunnel, which will be constructed at an altitude of about 15,800 feet on the Nimu–Padum–Darcha road to provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. Once completed, it will be the world’s highest tunnel. The tunnel is expected to be completed in four years. It will be the world’s highest tunnel, surpassing China’s tunnel built at an altitude of 15,590 feet.
The Shinkun La tunnel will not only ensure faster and efficient movement of our armed forces and equipment but will also boost economic and social development in Ladakh. This Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road will provide the third connectivity option to Ladakh. Connectivity between Nimmu and Darcha was achieved in March 2024 and the road is being blacktopped.
Prime Minister Modi is going to inaugurate the construction of this tunnel at an altitude of about 16000 feet at a time when on one hand it is the 25th anniversary of defeating Pakistan in the Kargil war, and on the other hand the military deadlock between India and China in eastern Ladakh has entered its fifth year. So far there have been no signs of resolution of the pending problems on the disputed Line of Actual Control (LAC). However, India hopes that the ongoing talks with China will help restore the status quo of April 2020.
Features of the tunnel
The 4.1 km long Shinku La tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 60 km, reducing it from the current 355 km to 295 km. Not only this, it will also be an alternative to the Manali-Leh and traditional Srinagar-Leh route. The Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road is also strategically important as it is shorter than the other two axes and crosses the Shinku La pass which is only 16,615 feet high. The Border Roads Organisation has completed 330 projects at a cost of Rs 8,737 crore in the last three years and has significantly improved the strategic mobility of the Indian armed forces along the border with China.
It is on the verge of completion of an ambitious project to provide much-needed alternate connectivity to India’s northernmost military base Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) near the LAC. The Border Roads Organisation will construct this tunnel at a cost of Rs 1,681.5 crore. The tunnel is expected to streamline the transportation of heavy machinery to strategic locations like Kargil, Siachen and the Line of Control (LoC) and reduce the travel distance by about 100 km. These tunnels will be gun and missile-proof.
