No Amarnath Yatra but highway construction work keeps Sonamarg abuzz

Some modifications in the Zojila tunnel portion of the projects are likely with govt looking to add an evacuation tunnel

National Highway 1, along the Sindh river, is abuzz with activity — the kind that is seen here only at the time of the annual Amarnath Yatra, a pilgrimage that has been on hold since 2019. The hectic pace of work is a result of the 14.15-km, all-weather Zojila tunnel —India's longest road tunnel and Asia's longest bi-directional tunnel — being built.

And now the activity has gained further urgency with the Union government asking contractors to have the construction work finished and polished by 2023, well before the general election in 2024. Some modifications are likely, with the government looking to add an evacuation tunnel in the event of an emergency if the main tunnel gets blocked.

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, who inspected work on the national highway from both the Kashmir and Ladakh side, drove through the 6.5-km Z-Morh tunnel that will shorten the distance between Srinagar and Sonamarg. (The Z in the name comes from the Z-shaped stretch of road between Sonamarg and Gangagir that this tunnel will replace.) This tunnel is being constructed by a special purpose vehicle from Lucknow-based Apco Infrastructure, Apco Shri Amarnath Pvt Ltd, on a hybrid annuity model.

The east end, or portal, of the Z-Morh tunnel overlooks the Lidder river, a tributary of Jhelum that flows through Kashmir. It starts at Chitrupura village in Kangan district and opens towards Sonamarg. And the west portal starts at Gagangir village in Kandhamal district towards Srinagar. 

Beyond Sonamarg, the terrain gets even more treacherous as the highway winds along the Sindh river, which later merges with Jhelum at Shadipora. In this section of the highway, Megha Engineering is engaged in the Zojila tunnel project that comprises the twin Nilgrar tunnels and a Zojila tunnel. The latter is located at 11,578 feet above sea level.

The Zojila tunnel is 12-metre-wide and 7.5 metre in height, of which 1.5-2 metre is for ventilation. Tunnels are designed with ventilation ducts to provide an outlet to harmful gases and for maintaining oxygen levels.

According to Gadkari, operationalisation of the Z-Morh and Zojila projects would make movement from Kullu and Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Srinagar seamless. “I have given the construction company a new deadline — December 2023. I told them that it should be completed before the 2024 elections. All work should be over before 2024," Gadkari said.

The Ladakh region, which borders China, can be accessed from both Himachal Pradesh and Kashmir. Every year, as winter sets in from November, the tourist town of Sonamarg and the highway on the Kashmir side get covered with snow. The local population moves downhill during the November to March period and returns only after severe weather conditions ease.

Sonamarg is usually busy with tourists. But the last three years, since the Amarnath Yatra was suspended, have been dull. The pilgrimage that starts from Baltal, the camping ground 15 km north of Sonamarg, provides a source of income to the local population. "With no yatra for the past few years and very few tourists, our business has been severely impacted," says Rihan, who sells local crafts in Sonamarg hotels. Some of these he buys from the Ladakhi tribes in exchange for rice.  

The Zojila tunnel is 12-metre-wide and 7.5 metre in height, of which 1.5-2 metre is for ventilation

The tunnel will shorten the distance from Baltal to Minamarg in the Kargil region of Ladakh from 40 km to 13 km. And travel time is expected to be reduced by an hour-and-a-half, with the journey, too, being far less strenuous. 

Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd had, in August 2020, bagged the project to build the Zojila tunnel after emerging as the lowest bidder. The government had cancelled the earlier contract with IL&FS Transportation Network in January 2019 after IL&FS was caught in a financial crisis. It then invited fresh tender for the construction of 14.15-km of road for the Zojila tunnel in June 2020.