Leh sources reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday kick started work for Zojila tunnel, Asia's longest and strategic bi-directional tunnel, to provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh. Accordingly the Prime Minister who is on a day's visit to all the three regions Leh, Kashmir and Jammu of Jammu and Kashmir also attended the closing ceremony of the 100th birth anniversary celebrations of the 19th Kushok Bakula Rinpoche (Buddhist spiritual guru).
As per report Zojila pass is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway and remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir through roads. Meanwhile the project aims at construction of 14.15 kilometer long two lane bi-directional single tube tunnel.
Moreover in the ceremony here, Modi said
projects worth Rs 25,000 crore would either be initiated or inaugurated today
in all three regions and it showed the commitment of the central and the state
governments towards the speedy development of the state.
