- Overview: The 14.15 km long Zojila Tunnel on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1) has been officially opened, establishing round-the-year, all-weather connectivity between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh for the first time in history.
- Key Points:
- Strategic Lifeline: Eliminates the vulnerability of Ladakh being cut off from the rest of India for six months during winter, revolutionizing military logistics and troop deployment.
- Engineering Feat: Bi-directional tunnel built at an altitude of 11,578 feet, overcoming extreme weather, avalanche risks, and complex geological faults.
- Economic Integration: Drastically reduces travel time from 3.5 hours to just 15 minutes across the pass, boosting local tourism, apple trade, and economic integration of Ladakh.
- Smart Infrastructure: Equipped with fully automated ventilation, emergency escape tubes, and advanced traffic monitoring systems (SCADA).
Source Link: NHIDCL Zojila Tunnel Project
- Q10. The Zojila Pass, through which the newly inaugurated tunnel provides all-weather connectivity, connects which two regions?
- A) Srinagar and Jammu
- B) Srinagar and Kargil/Leh
- C) Manali and Leh
- D) Gangtok and Nathu La
