The ladakh region of jammu and kashmir including two district namely Kargil and leh (we called Ladakh)at present remain totally cut off for six month or more in freezing winter from the rest of the country in view of heavy snowfall and avalanche at national highway Zojila pass.
The works on much talked about Zojila tunnel to provide round the year road connectivity to the ladakh region leh and Kargil has come to grinding halt and unlikely to begin in the very near future.
The Minister of road and transport and highway Government of India (north)transferred the project to National highway and infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL)the delay in start of construction work of Zojila tunnel which surfaced first the second time ever since the announcement of the project has again come as a shock to the people of the coldest desert of kargil which remain disconnected with rest of the world through road link for several months in a year.
The Zojila pass to provide year round access to ladakh in ancient times the greater ladakh which encompasses all area on two side of the boarder was never really seperate and cutt even in the most severe winter.
The project construction of zojila tunnel including approach on National Highwat-1A Srinagar Sonamarg,Gumri Road)was announced by the union Minister for Road and transport Shri Nitim Gadkari On November 7,2015 and it was officially started that works will be being in the month of June 2016 to provide all weather connectivity to the ladakh region of jammu and kashmir . thereafter in the month of January 2016 it was announced by the Union Government that IRB infrastructure development limited one of the largest built own transfer road developers in India was selected for building southeast Asia longest tunnel at Zojila pass at an estimated cost of RS 10,050 Crore.How ever in the month of March 2016 union Government ordered rebidding of the strategic Zojila pass tunnel contract in vew of doubt raised in respect of allotment of projects to IRB infrastructure.the work was again delayed as the projected was transferred to National highway and infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd by the Ministry.
It is not feasible to keep the road clear during winter due to heavy snowfall and and to make matter worsening and bad the stretch is prone to severe avalanche’s kargil.
The route across Karakorum pass was linked to the famous silk rout a large number of caravan traveled on this route both in summer and winter this was the most important link of ladakh and kashmir to central asia kargil askardoo has been another route of great importance.
However kargil people’s do not have even this Luxury they have to travel all the way to leh and wait for their turn to fly out only recently an Indian air force service has been started in winter,which ferrying passengers more or less like transportation of cattle there are only two alternative available to end the winter siege of ladakh.
The most talk about and pending for a long time is the zojila tunnel the other alternative to end the winter siege of ladakh till the tunnel come up is to open all surface route to neighbor countries this can be done if an agreement is reached between all the countries in the region for opening up all surface route our political leader from Kargil and Leh ,Minister,Member Parliament, MLC,often talk about making border irrelevant but it come to implementing these declaration everyone develops cold feet such an understanding depend upon the politician
This uncertainty in initiating the implementation of this project by the respective central government is widely criticized by all on the cold desert kargil region.the road travel is the cheapest mode of transportation by the people of kargil as on one side the registration limited air services remain exorbitantly high which a normal kargil can’t afford to.this project has strategic and socio-economic importance it will provide much needed valley weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh.this project should be implemented at the earliest so that the aggrieved people of leh and kargil (ladakh) could take a breath of relief,since rheumatoid have been given hopes time and again but with no results.
