winzir Z Morh Tunnel: A Key Strategic Push For Year-Round Road Access To Ladakh Post-Galwan

Paramilitary soldiers stand guard near Z-Morh Tunnel at Gagangeer some 82 kilometers from Srinagar, on January 12, 2025 in Srinagar, India. Paramilitary soldiers stand guard near Z-Morh Tunnel at Gagangeer some 82 kilometers from Srinagar, on January 12, 2025 in Srinagar, India.

With the opening of the Z Morh, now called the Sonamarg Tunnel by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on January 13, year-round connectivity to the picturesque Sonamarg will be ensured. Once the Zojila Tunnel, which begins from Sonamarg, is completed, it will provide all-weather access to Ladakh, making it a vital infrastructure project. This project, aimed to ensure year-round access for both the military and residentswinzir, has gained significant momentum after the Galwan Valley clashes on the India-China border in June 2020. 

In 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in hand-to-hand combat in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley leading to the killing of 20 soldiers. In response, the government of India significantly invested in infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, and also focused on critical projects like the Z Morh and Zojila tunnels to have all weather access to Ladakh, which otherwise remains closed for six months. The existing roads to Ladakh, Srinagar-Leh Highway and the Manali-Leh Highway, usually remain closed during winter months due to harsh weather conditions. 

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According to government sources, the Sonamarg tunnel project has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. It comprises the Sonamarg main tunnel of 6.4 km length, an egress tunnel and approach roads. Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, it will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg enroute to Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche routes and ensuring safer and uninterrupted access to the strategically critical Ladakh region. Sonamarg would also remain inaccessible during the winter months. “Along with the Zojila Tunnel, set for completion by 2028, Sonamarg tunnel will reduce the route length from 49 km to 43 km and boost vehicle speed from 30 km/hr to 70 km/hr, ensuring seamless NH-1 connectivity between Srinagar Valley and Ladakh. This enhanced connectivity will boost defense logistics, drive economic growth and socio-cultural integration across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,fhm63” the spokesperson said. 

“The Sonamarg tunnel, formerly known as the Z-Morh tunnel, dedicated to the nation by Modi, is a game-changer for Sonamarg,” said Harpal Singh, chief operating officer of Megha Engineering, which is constructing the Zojila tunnel. 

“While the Sonamarg tunnel is a significant achievement, people in Ladakh will still face connectivity issues during winter until the upcoming Zojila tunnel is completed, expected by December 2027,” he added. 

He said at present, 1,200 employees, mostly from Jammu and Kashmir, were working round the clock to make this dream possible despite harsh weather conditions when temperatures are dipping to minus 32 degrees Celsius. 

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On October 20, 2024, the Z Morh tunnel workers were attacked by militants who entered a camp at Gagangir housing the workers, killing seven workers, including six non-local workers and a doctor from Kashmir. 

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On January 13, the Prime Minister paid tributes to the workers, saying, “Seven of our comrades made the ultimate sacrifice, but we never wavered in our resolve. No one wanted to return home. These brave souls faced every challenge head-on and accomplished this monumental task.” 

“Today, as we stand together on this beautiful day, with the world wrapped in a white blanket of snow, my first thoughts are with the seven comrades we have lost,” the Prime Minister said. 

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Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also mentioned those seven workers saying that the Prime Minister’s presence at the inauguration programme of the Z Morh tunnel is a testimony to the fact that those who carry out attacks on workers will always get defeated. “Those people, who do not want to see progresswinzir, peace and democracy in Jammu and Kashmir, can never succeed. They will always face defeat here. We will always defeat them here. We will send them back and we will never see any harm being done to this country.”