Amid the ongoing border conflict with China in eastern Ladakh, India has completed construction on a crucial strategic road to Ladakh. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has finally operationalised the much-awaited Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road providing the shortest route from Manali to Leh. This development marks a significant strategic milestone. The road, spanning 298 kilometres, now serves as the third major axis connecting Ladakh to the mainland, alongside the Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes. The Ministry of Defence emphasised that this road would enhance regional connectivity.
“When the River Zansakar was frozen, the equipment and personnel were mobilised, and the work of establishing connectivity was completed,” said DG Border Roads Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan. He exuded confidence that the work on blacktopping the road would start soon. With construction of the Shinkun La tunnel commencing, the third all-weather axis to Ladakh would be established, he added.
The strategic significance of the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road lies in its shorter distance compared to the other two routes and its crossing of just one pass, Shinkun La, standing at 16,558 feet. The Border Roads Organisation is set to begin tunnel construction at this pass, ensuring all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region. This enhanced connectivity is poised to bolster defence readiness and stimulate economic growth in the Zanskar Valley.
The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) in February last year sanctioned the construction of a twin-tube tunnel spanning 4.1 kilometres under the challenging terrain of Shinkun La pass, situated at an altitude of 16,558 feet, on the Ladakh-Himachal Pradesh border. This tunnel, costing Rs 1,681 crore, aims to provide an “alternative” all-weather route to Ladakh. The tunnel is expected to be completed within the next two years.
Ravi Shankar
