Opinion: Strategic impact of Z-Morh Tunnel

The tunnel will help tackle Pakistan and China’s seasonal military aggression on LoC and LAC, respectively

By Sanjay Turi

Situated on the National Highway-1, connecting the Kangan and Sonamarg regions of Jammu & Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, the completion of the Z-Morh Tunnel is one of the most important tunnels of the Zozila Tunnel Project, which aims to ensure all-weather seamless connectivity between Kashmir and the Union territory of the Ladakh. Bypassing some of the most dangerous roads and avalanche-prone areas of the Kashmir Valley, this 6.5 km long tunnel at an altitude of 8,500 ft boasts one of the most unique engineering marvels of contemporary times.

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Started by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) in early 2012 during the UPA government, the tunnel was developed by APCO under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited using the New Austrian Tunneling Method and cost Rs 2,700 crore. The Z-Morh tunnel features a two-lane bidirectional road structure measuring 10 m and an additional 7.5 m wide escape tunnel.

Civil Importance

Sonamarg is situated at a distance of 80 km or 4 hours from the capital city, Srinagar. The Z-Morh tunnel is supposed to cut this travel time by one hour. Due to the presence of Thajwas glacier, Sonamarg experiences heavy snowfall throughout the year. As a result, there is no natural connectivity in the winter. The Z-Morh Tunnel, with all-weather features, is expected to provide good connectivity throughout the year and may, additionally, become a boon for Sonamarg, potentially helping it become one of the most attractive winter peak tourist destinations in Kashmir.

The Z-Morh Tunnel, with all-weather features, may additionally be a boon for Sonamarg, helping it become an attractive winter peak tourist destination

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in his inaugural speech, said the completion of this project will not just reduce the distance between Delhi and J&K, but it will also reduce the distance between the hearts of Kashmiri people and those sitting in Delhi or mainland India. He also emphasised that before this tunnel came into existence, most hostels and restaurants in this region remained closed during winter due to unreliable access to infrastructure, roads and connectivity.

Now, smaller businessmen and shopkeepers, including hoteliers, are optimistic about the tunnel’s potential to attract winter tourists from across the countries, which may result in job opportunities for the common public even during the winter season. Promoting Sonamarg, an alternative to Gulamarg, as a winter sports destination in the next five years, as announced by Omar Abdullah, is a positive step.

Strategic Importance

By providing all-weather seamless connectivity between Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh, the tunnel, in terms of India’s defence needs, is going to hold strategic importance in tackling Pakistan and China’s seasonal military aggression on the Line of Control (LoC) and the Line of Actual Control (LAC), respectively. The Indian Army’s heavy dependence on air transport for the movement of goods and troops, as well as heavy machinery tools, will be drastically reduced by this tunnel. In times of conflict and aggression in the region, this will benefit the Army not just financially but also in terms of transportation time.

The entire area of this tunnelling project is strategically located near the LoC, which Pakistan has used several times. As this region connects J&K to the Ladakh region, Pakistan, during the Kargil War, tried to cut off this connectivity by indulging in a heavy bombardment here. The tunnel will help the Army not just avoid the avalanche-prone region but also the security threats coming from Pakistani militants.

Keeping in mind China’s frequently changing stance on border agreements on LAC, it will also help the Indian Army mobilise troops in the region quickly throughout the years. Before this tunnel, it was difficult for us to check Pakistan from the West (known as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir) and China from the East (known as Aksai Chin) at a time. Although India has a strong base in the Siachen Glacier between PoK and Aksai Chin, it has always been a challenge for the Indian Army to check both countries from here, especially after Pakistan ceded the Shaksgam Valley (located north to the Siachen Glacier) to China in 1963.

Therefore, this tunnel will also provide the Indian Army with good connectivity for very fast troop movements in the Siachen Glacier region. Hence, the strategic significance of this tunnel cannot be understated in terms of strengthening security in the region.
Apart from the existing two highways (Srinagar-Ladakh NH-1 and Manali-Leh NH-21) connecting Ladakh, the government of India has also begun working to open a third gateway to the Ladakh region via Shinku La and Zanskar Valley as an alternative to avoid any kind of emergency or unexpected disasters.

Overall Trajectory

Pakistan is also well aware of the fact that this project would reduce the military entrenchment of Pakistan in the entire LoC region. Connecting Sonamarg to the Baltal base camp, the tunnel is additionally likely to provide safe and better connectivity for the Amarnath pilgrims.

The increasing connectivity and the massive infra push in the region could also be a step towards reclaiming the illegally occupied regions of J&K and Ladakh by Pakistan as well as China.

(The author is a Doctoral Candidate, Centre for West Asian Studies, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi)