Achi news desk-
New Delhi: The Border Roads Organization (BRO) connected the strategic Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road in Ladakh on March 25, 2024. This 298-km road will connect Manali to Leh via Darcha and Nimmu on the Kargil-Leh Highway. The road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh that connects Ladakh to the hinterland.
The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one gap; Shinkun La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel is about to start by the BRO. This will mean that the road has all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. The connectivity will strengthen defense preparedness and boost the economic development of the Zanskar Valley.
DG Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan said that in January, when the Zansakar River was frozen, the equipment and personnel were mobilized and the work of establishing the connectivity was completed. He was confident that the work of breaking the road would start soon. With the construction of the Shinkun La tunnel starting, the third all-weather axis to Ladakh will be established, he added.
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“We have now established connectivity on this vital axis. Soon, we will start working on the high water of the road. With the construction of the Shinkun La tunnel also starting, the third all-weather axis to Ladakh will be established,” said BRO chief Lt-General Raghu Srinivasan.
The PM-led cabinet committee on security had in February last year approved the Rs 1,681 crore construction of the 4.1-km twin-tube tunnel under the forbidden Shinkun La (la means pass) at a height of 16,558 feet, on the border between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, for ‘alternate’ all weather connectivity to Ladakh. The tunnel is likely to be built in another two years or so
