PM Modi launches Shinkun La Tunnel construction; how will it help troops

Despite harsh weather conditions and challenging topography, building infrastructure along the China border has remained a top priority for the central government

On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of Kargil Vijay Diwas on Friday (July 26), Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Ladakh, where he launched the construction of the Shinkun La Tunnel project, set to be the world's highest tunnel.

The 4.1-kilometre-long twin-tube tunnel will be constructed at an altitude of approximately 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha road. The tunnel, to be constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) at Rs 1,681 crore, was approved by the PM-led cabinet committee on security in February last year. The Shinkun La Tunnel, with cross-passages every 500 metres, is projected to be completed in two years.

Shinkun La Tunnel: Strategic significance

Aimed at providing all-weather connectivity to Leh, the tunnel will be of immense strategic significance. Currently, the route remains snow-bound for at least five months every year.

The tunnel will not only boost economic development in Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh but will also prove crucial in mobilising troops and moving heavy weapons along the northern borders with China, particularly as military confrontation with the neighbouring nation in eastern Ladakh has been ongoing for the last four years.
 

This is why tunnel construction along the China border has remained a top priority for the government despite harsh weather conditions and challenging topography. The tunnel can also be used for underground storage of ammunition, missiles, fuel, and other supplies. It will be equipped with firefighting, mechanical ventilation, communication, and supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems to handle any untoward situation.

Additionally, the Shinkun La Tunnel will also reduce India’s “border infrastructure differential” with China along the 3,488-kilometre Line of Actual Control. Over the last decade, the Narendra Modi government has created a network of roads, tunnels, bridges, troop habitats, permanent defences, helipads, and airfields along the China border.

Focus on border infrastructure
 

In 2020, PM Modi inaugurated the Atal Tunnel, which stands as the world’s longest highway tunnel in Himachal Pradesh. It cuts the distance between Manali and Leh by 46 kilometres. It links Manali to the Lahaul-Spiti valley throughout the entire year, overcoming the historical six-month isolation due to heavy snowfall.

In March this year, the Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh was inaugurated. It has been built at an altitude of over 13,000 feet on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang road at a cost of Rs 825 crore. A few other tunnel projects are also in the planning stage, an officer told The Times of India.