The ceremonial blast for the breakthrough of one of the two tubes of Z-Morh Tunnel Project of 6.5 km was done at Sonamarg today, taking the valley a step closer towards an all-weather connectivity.  

Gurjeet Kambo, Executive Director of the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), carried out the blasting ceremony,

Kambo appreciated the efforts of the concessionaire and also acknowledged the role of local public for the smooth progress of the project. He assured the breakthrough of the main tunnel will also take place within the scheduled time frame.

With the construction work on the Z-Morh escape tunnel nearing completion, and the geo-strategically sensitive Zojila project gathering pace, an all-weather safe connectivity between Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and Leh regions is advancing fast.

The Z-Morh escape tunnel, expected to be ready for controlled movement by November, will enable locals and tourists to visit Sonamarg in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir during the winter season. The work on the main tunnel (6.5 km) is expected to be completed by 2023.

An alpine valley 87 km north-east of Srinagar, Sonamarg is the gateway to Ladakh and situated just before the Zojila pass. It remains cut off from the rest of the country during winters due to the road passing active avalanche areas.

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