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INFRASTRUCTURE The work on the strategic Zojila tunnel - an all-weather connection very long time. There are so many defence forces personnel, we
WORK ON ZOJILA TUNNEL IN FULL SWING, OVER 40
PC DRILLING ACHIEVED; PROJECT TO BE COMPLETE BY
have a border with China which has a strong military. It is risky
DECEMBER 2026
for our forces to face such a huge army when there is no land
connection with the rest of India.
between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region -- is going
“After this tunnel is constructed, the Indian defence forces will
on at a rapid pace and over 40 per cent of the drilling has
move uninterrupted throughout the year. People of J-K and Ladakh
can move throughout the year. It will be a huge advantage. What
been completed, the construction company said on Sunday.
The company said it is hopeful of completing the project by
the next three to four years,” he said.
December 2026.
The tunnel project - through the mighty Zojila Pass at an altitude we had not been able to do in the last 75 years, you will have it in
He said not only will it shorten the distance, the time taken will also
of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway - is of be very less. This distance will be covered in less than 40 minutes
strategic importance as the highway remains closed during winters instead of four hours, he said.
due to heavy snowfall, cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir. Site-incharge of MEIL, Sanjay Sharma, said the tunnel would be
The single-tube Zojila tunnel - from Baltal, in the Ganderbal district the longest in Asia at the highest altitude. He said there were many
of central Kashmir, to Minimarg, in Drass town of Kargil district of challenges working in the young Himalayan range.
Ladakh, is 13 km long with an approach road of 18 km. “But, the main challenge is outside the tunnel. It is the weather. First
“This project is a huge game changer by the government of India. two years, we worked in winter months also. But, last year, we had
The total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 to stop for two months due to avalanches,” he said.
km. From Sonamarg to Baltal, it is 18 km, and then the main tunnel Parliamentary consultative committee on Road Transport &
from Baltal to Minimarg which is 13 km long. The work is going Highways, led by Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, is visiting the project
on at a rapid pace on both the projects,” Project Head, Megha site on Monday.
Engineering and Infrastructure Limited Harpal Singh told.
INDIA INFRASTRUCTURE TRUST DECLARES TOTAL
MEIL is constructing the tunnel. DISTRIBUTION OF `3.9140 PER UNIT
Singh said the work had to be stopped for two months in the
winter because of back-to-back avalanches in January in which
two persons were killed. About 38 pieces of equipment of the
construction company were buried under the snow which have
not yet been retrieved. “It was a temporary setback,” Singh said,
adding, “I am hopeful that the whole project will be completed
by December 2026”.
Singh said out of the 13 km long tunnel, a total of 6 km cutting has
been done - three km from this side and the rest from the other
end. “The remaining work will be completed in time,” he said.
The project head said the company is using a modern method
of tunnelling which is known as new Austrian tunnelling method. The Pipeline InvIT Committee of Brookfield India Infrastructure
“By this method, we have achieved three important things -- Manager Private Limited, acting in its capacity as the Investment
the safety of the tunnel, the safety of the work-force, and the Manager of India Infrastructure Trust (“Trust”), in its meeting held
speed,” he added. By using this method, he said, the chances of today i.e. Thursday, April 6, 2023, has declared a total distribution
accidents are very low and the quality and the speed of tunnelling of `3.9140 per Unit payable as under:
are very good. This is a special technology applied in Europe and Return of Capital - `1.8335 per Unit
North America, he said. Return on Capital - `2.0805 per Unit
Out of the total 31 km project from Z-Morh tunnel in Sonamarg, to Wednesday, April 12, 2023 has been fixed as the Record Date for
Baltal, the approach road is 18 km and the work is also going on the purpose of the payment of this distribution to the Unitholders,
their simultaneously. which will be paid on or before Thursday, April 20, 2023.
“About 60 per cent of work has been completed on this. There
are four bridges on which about 80 per cent of the work has been NETWORK PLANNING GROUP UNDER PM GATI SHAKTI
completed. There is five-km Nilgarh tunnels which have been APPROVES 4 INFRA PROJECTS
completed. The work is going on at an advance pace and the These projects will also provide multimodal connectivity, seamless
approach road would be operational within two years,” Singh said. movement of goods and passengers, it said.
He said people will not face will not face any difficulty in coming The four projects are construction of broad-gauge double line
to Baltal even in winter when there is heavy snowfall because of between Sawai Madhopur and Jaipur in Rajasthan, broad-gauge
the approach road to the tunnel. line between Junagarh to Nabarangpur station in Odisha, broad-
Asked about the importance of the tunnel with respect to the gauge line between Anand Nagar Ghughuli via Maharajganj on
Defence forces, Singh said after the completion of the tunnel, the Northeastern Railway in Uttar Pradesh and provision of automatic
forces will be able to move across round the clock. block signalling on freight dense high utilization network on Western
“The road remains closed for four months due to snowfall. It is a Railway.

38 CONSTRUCTION OPPORTUNITIES|APRIL 2023