Kargil, Nov 22: Work on the strategically crucial Zojila Tunnel—an all-weather link between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh—is progressing steadily, with around 12 km of the main tunnel completed so far.
The construction agency has expressed confidence that the project will meet its February 2028 deadline.
Situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet, the Zojila Tunnel is considered one of the most challenging infrastructure projects in the Himalayan region. Once completed, it will be the first tunnel of its kind in such a high-altitude zone.
Chief Secretary Ladakh, Dr Pawan Kotwal, visited the tunnel’s eastern portal to review the ongoing work on Friday.
He was accompanied by SDM Drass, Vishal Atri. During the inspection, he interacted with NHIDCL officials, MEIL Project Manager Col A. K. Shiv Kumar, ICT Team Leader Yousuf Es’hagpour, engineers and on-ground workers, and took a detailed assessment of the progress.
Officials briefed the Chief Secretary that nearly 12 km of tunnelling has been achieved, with about 1,200 metres still under excavation. The breakthrough is expected by April next year. They also explained the tunnel’s key safety and ventilation features, including its semi-transverse air circulation system, and highlighted that progress varies depending on rock strata—sometimes accelerating, at other times slowing.
Engineers informed him that excavation averages 2.5 to 3 metres per day, while stabilisation and stitching processes require additional time. They said an early breakthrough next April would significantly ease emergency travel for critically ill patients. Dr Kotwal commended the workforce for their dedication and urged them to complete the breakthrough at the earliest, noting that the Zojila Tunnel will be among the longest and most demanding in the region.
He also inspected survey operations inside the tunnel and reviewed alignment work on both the eastern and western portals. Officials from Project Vijayak explained that precision surveying equipment installed on both sides continuously guides excavation direction and accuracy.
According to official sources, the Zojila project consists of a 14.15 km tunnel at an altitude of around 3,000 metres under the Zojila Pass—currently motorable for only eight months of the year. Considered one of the most dangerous stretches in the world, the route is also of major geo-strategic importance.
The tunnel will ensure all-weather connectivity between the Srinagar Valley and Leh via Drass and Kargil, strengthening economic and socio-cultural links between the two Union Territories. Designed as a two-lane tunnel, it will be 9.5 metres wide and 7.57 metres high with a horseshoe profile. Construction is being carried out using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) is executing the project for NHIDCL under the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.
