On February 15, 2023, The Government of India approved the construction of a strategically crucial tunnel under the forbidding Shinkun La on the border between Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh.
The tunnel will be created by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of the Indian Army at the cost of 1681.5 crore rupees. It will be completed by December 2025.
The length of the tunnel will be 4.1 km, and it will be constructed for alternate and all-weather connectivity to Ladakh amid the continuing 33-month-long confrontation with China.
The tunnel will be located at an altitude of 16,500 feet on the Manali-Darcha-Padam-Nimu axis.The most striking feature of this tunnel is that it is invulnerable to artillery shelling and missile firing by Pakistan and the Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC). Additionally, it will ensure swift troop and weaponry movement to forward areas.According to a top official, this decision of the PM-led Cabinet Committee on Security was announced by Union Minister Anurag Thakur.
The All-weather connectivity to Western Ladakh and the Zanskar Valley directly from a Manali Axis through a 298 km National Highway Double Lane will help in reducing the travel time as compared to that of Zoji La from Srinagar.
The tunnel was approved by Defence Ministry in 2021 after a long tussle between the BRO and NHIDCL (National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited).The BRO approved a short tunnel, whereas NHIDCL went for a longer tunnel.
As per sources, the main reason for the shorter tunnel was the early completion of the project concerning the threat from China.The BRO put a bituminous layer on the Darcha-Padam-Nimu axis in 2019, and the road could not be used due to heavy winter and snow at Shinkun La.
India has reduced its infrastructural differential with China along the 3,488km long Line of Actual Control. (eastern Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh) in terms of airfields, bases, tunnels, bridges and helipads.However, a huge amount of work is still left. The tunnels are a priority area for both all-weather connectivity and swifter troop movement in the border areas, along with storing ammunition, missiles and fuels.
At present, nine tunnels are under construction which, includes Sela tunnel to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh at the height of 13,000 feet. The Construction of 11 more tunnels is being planned.Several more infrastructure projects are underway, which will be built by the Indian Army Corps of Engineers and the BRO to reduce asymmetry with China.
