PM Modi may open Z-Morh tunnel next week

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to inaugurate next week the ‘geo-strategically’ important Z-Morh tunnel on Srinagar-Leh Highway, officials said on Wednesday.

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A senior official confirmed that the inauguration is scheduled to take place on January 13. Sources said apart from the Prime Minister, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari would also be present to attend the ceremony.

Z-Morh tunnel, which is a 6.5-km tunnel built on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, has been termed as “geo-strategically important” by the Union Government. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Sonamarg, a popular tourist destination.

The inauguration next week comes after militants carried out an attack on a construction workers’ camp that was carrying out the work on the Z-Morh tunnel. The attack left seven people, including a doctor, dead.

Later, the security forces shot dead one of the two militants responsible for the attack during an encounter on Srinagar outskirts.

Officials said the area of Z-Morh tunnel would now ensure improved connectivity between Srinagar and Kargil and there would also be considerable reduction in travel time between Srinagar and Leh. “Tourism in Sonamarg will be promoted including activities like white-water rafting on Thajiwas glacier and Sindh river,” the central government said earlier.

According to officials, an intelligent Traffic Management System has been installed in Z-Morh tunnel which will make it easier to control traffic.

After the Z-Morh tunnel, the next eyes will be on Zojila tunnel on which work is going on.

The Union Transport Ministry said last year in Parliament that Zojila tunnel project consists of construction of a tunnel of 13.153 km and approach roads to a tunnel of length 17.03 km, totalling 30.18 km.

The scheduled completion date of the project is September 29, 2026, the ministry said. Once the Zojila project is complete, it would be a major milestone as it would provide all-year connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, which borders China.

CM Omar Abdullah wrote on X: J&K, especially central Kashmir, looks forward to the inauguration of a vital piece of infrastructure in the coming days. This asset will be a game-changer for the expansion of winter tourism in the Valley.