Kargil: Prime Minister Narendra Modi virtually initiated the first blast of the Shinkun La Tunnel project in Kargil, Ladakh on Friday.
Once completed, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. Here are the top nine reasons why this tunnel is strategically important to India, particularly in its ties with China
• The Shinkun La Tunnel Project will feature a 4.1-kilometre-long twin-tube tunnel at an altitude of approximately 15,800 feet on the Nimu-Padum-Darcha Road
• It is taller than China’s Mila tunnel at 15,590 feet
• The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road is shorter than the other two axes and crosses only one pass, the 16,615-ft high Shinku La.
• It will provide all-weather connectivity to Leh.
• The Shinkun La tunnel will facilitate the swift and efficient movement of armed forces and equipment
• The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity from Manali to Leh via the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha axis, significantly enhancing military mobility and logistics support in the Ladakh sector.
• The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road will be the third route to Ladakh, with connectivity between Nimmu and Darcha established in March 2024 and the road currently being blacktopped.
• The tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Leh by 60 km, from 355 to 295 km.
• This is an alternative to the existing Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes.
