[Watch] PM Modi Flags Off Shinkun La Project, World’s Highest To Be Tunnel In Ladakh

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Kargil: On the occasion of Kargil Vijay Diwas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday virtually carried out the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel project in Drass. A 4.1 km long Twin-Tube tunnel, it will be the world’s highest tunnel upon completion at an altitude of 15,800 feet on the Nimu–Padum–Darcha Road. It will provide great connectivity to Leh, Ladakh. On being built, it will surpass the Mi La tunnel in China at 15,590 feet.

Rs 1,681 crore project for all-weather link

It is being built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at a cost of Rs 1,681 crore. The fund for the project was approved by the PM-led cabinet committee on security in Feb last year. The project is crucial for alternate all-weather connectivity and swifter troop mobility to Ladakh. It will have cross-passages every 500 metres. It will be a vital link betwee the Zanskar Valley in Ladakh and the Lahaul Valley in Himachal Pradesh. According to reports, it will take at least two years to be completed.

Data acquisition systems, mechanical ventilation & more

The tunnel will have modern technologies for firefighting, mechanical ventilation, communication, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems, according to media reports. The tunnel will not only ensure swift and efficient movement of the armed forces and but also foster economic and social development in Ladakh. The high-altitude passes on these axes are snow-bound. These only open for cutting for four to five months of the year.