Srinagar (TDI): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a strategic Himalayan road tunnel on Monday, pushing all-weather access northwards towards contested high-altitude border zones with China and Pakistan.
The Z-Morh or Sonmarg tunnel, stretching 6.4 kilometers beneath a treacherous mountain pass cut off by snow for between 4 to 6months a year, is part of a wider infrastructure drive in border zones.
It helps connect IIOJK with Ladakh, acting as a stepping stone in opening the Srinagar-Leh Highway all year round.
After cutting the ribbon on the $313 million project that has taken a decade to construct, Modi said, “With the opening of the tunnel here, connectivity will considerably improve,” according to AFP.
India and China, the world’s two most populous countries, are intense rivals competing for strategic influence across South Asia, and their 3,500km shared border has been a perennial source of tension.
Their troops clashed in 2020, killing at least twenty Indian and four Chinese soldiers, and forces from both sides today face off across contested high-altitude borderlands.
Also Read: China-Indian Ocean Forum Launches Joint Projects
However, both countries agreed in October on patrols in disputed areas, shortly before a rare formal meeting — the first in 5 years — between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi.
Another tunnel on the same route, the 13km-long Zojila tunnel, is more than halfway completed and scheduled to open in 2026, according to the information ministry.
Also Read: Pakistan, India Exchange Lists of Nuclear Installations
India has also constructed a $3.9 billion railway line connecting the lowland plains with IIOJK for the first time, including the construction of the Chenab Rail Bridge, the highest of its kind in the world.
The 272km-long railway begins in the garrison city of Udhampur, headquarters of the Indian military’s northern command, and runs through Srinagar.
