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New Delhi : Work on the Zozila Tunnel in J&K began on October 15, 2020, with ceremonial blasting. The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar valley and Leh (Ladakh plateau) on NH-1 and will bring about an all-round economic and socio–cultural integration of Jammu & Kashmir (Now UTs of J&K and Ladakh).
It involves construction of a 14.15 km long tunnel at an altitude of about 3,000 m under Zojila pass (at present, motorable only for 6 months in a year) on NH-1 connecting Srinagar and Leh through Dras & Kargil. It is one of the most dangerous stretch in the world to drive a vehicle and this project is also geo-strategically sensitive.
The project was first conceived in 2005 and its Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by BRO in year 2013 on BOT (Annuity) mode. Attempts to award the project four times weren’t successful. The Project was eventually given to NHIDCL in July 2016 for implementation on EPC mode. Its work was awarded to M/s. ITNL (IL&FS). Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid foundation stone at Leh and commenced the work on May 19, 2018. The work progressed up to July 2019, and thereafter M/s. IL&FS went into financial problems and the project was stuck. Hence, the contract was terminated on January 15, 2019.
Thereafter, in February 2020, Nitin Gadkari, Minister for Road transport & Highways, reviewed this whole project in detail. In order to reduce the cost and to execute the languishing project on priority, referred the matter to an expert group under the Chairmanship of I.K Pandey, DG (RD) & SS, MoRTH. The Expert group suggested modalities of project configuration and implementation, to achieve project completion in least possible time and cost.
After due consultation with tunnel experts and other stakeholders, the expert group submitted its report on May 17, 2020, which was approved by the Minister, RTH, on May 23, 2020. The salient features of the report include the following:
- Construction of two-lane Bi-directional single tube tunnel without parallel egress/escape passage.
- Reduction in construction shafts from 3 to 2.
- The Design Speed in tunnel to be 80 KMPH.
- Adding approach road of 18 km (Net road length is 12 km) from end of Z-Morh tunnel to start of Zozila tunnel with Avalanche protection structures such as Catch Dams, Snow Galleries, Cut & Cover, Deflector Dam, etc. to make it an all-weather connection between two tunnels.
- The modified cost worked out was Rs 4,429.83 crore & it would reduce the travel time from more than 3.5 Hours currently to just 15 Minutes to travel through the tunnel.Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Limited was awarded the work for its quoted rate of Rs 4,509.50 crore, and the Letter of Acceptance (LOA) was issued on August 25, 2020.
The capital cost of approach road from Zozila Tunnel to Z-Morh tunnel (18.63 km) to make the road all weather was worked out to be Rs 2,335 crore as per the DPR. The construction cost of Zozila tunnel was worked out at Rs 6,575.85 crore after considering the escalation @ 5% per annum and the total capital cost of the project at Rs 8,308 Crs by NHIDCL. Thus the total integrated cost of the project including Zozila tunnel and approaches up to Z- Morh tunnel works out to Rs 10,643 crore. Now comparing to the present cost of the integrated project, based on the tender received at Rs 4,509.5 Cr, the total capital cost of the project would be Rs 6,808.63. Thus, after re-modelling of the project and reaping the benefit of integrated project management by segregating the egress tunnel & utilising the excavated rock material in construction of approaches, generated from tunnel boring, resulted in an anticipated saving of Rs 3,835 crore.
Significance of the project:
(i) The construction of Zojila Tunnel will provide all-weather safe connectivity between Srinagar, Dras, Kargil and Leh regions. The all-weather safe connectivity of the road is immensely important from the strategic point of view.
(ii) The construction of Zozila Tunnel shall bring about all round economic and socio-cultural integration of these regions which remains cut-off from rest of the country during winters due to heavy snowfall for about six months.
(iii) A tunnel in Zozila is the only viable alternative at present for a full year connectivity road. This tunnel when completed will be a landmark achievement in the history of modern India. It will also be of great importance to the Defence of the country, in view of the fact that massive military activities along our borders in Ladakh, Gilgit and Baltistan regions are taking place..