Union Cabinet approves construction of all-weather tunnel to Ladakh

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday gave its nod for the construction of the 4.1-km Shinkun La tunnel on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha road link to provide all-weather connectivity to the border areas of Ladakh.

Providing details of the cabinet decision, Union minister Anurag Thakur said the tunnel will be completed by December 2025 at a cost of Rs 1,681 crore.

The length of the tunnel will be 4.1 km. An approach will also be built by December 2025, he said.

The Shinkun La tunnel will provide all-weather road connectivity to Ladakh and this will be the shortest route to the border areas of the Union territory from other parts of the country, the minister said.

"The Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) today approved the Shinku La tunnel for Ladakh area which will provide all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region with the entire country," the minister said.

"This (project) is also very important as far as the security and safety of the country is concerned.... It will also help in the movement of our security forces in that region," Thakur said.

Before this, the minister said, the Atal tunnel was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi linking Manali to Leh and it provides all-weather connectivity throughout the year.

Another tunnel which is under construction is the Zojila tunnel on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh national highway. It will be inaugurated soon.

Thakur said after the Shinkun La tunnel is made on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha marg, it will help connect the Ladakh area, especially Zanskar Valley, with the entire country.

Sources said this is a significant step in terms of security perspective as Nimu in Ladakh is close to Kargil as well as Leh and the armed forces can do faster deployment of forces and equipment in the area, if required in a tense situation in the eastern Ladakh sector with China.