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₹6,800 Cr Zojila Tunnel Breakthrough Achieved Using NATM, Targets 2028 Completion for Ladakh All-Weather Connectivity

Target:UPSCMPSCSSC GATeachingPrelims HighMains MediumStatic GK Link
11 Jun 2026
~2 min
Source: Indian Express
Key Data:₹6,800 crore13 km11,758 feetFebruary 202827 km reductionOver 2 hours time cut
Bodies:NHIDCLMEIL
Practice MCQs from today's news ▸
What This Article Covers

1.The Zojila tunnel, a 13-km high-altitude road tunnel, achieved its excavation breakthrough, marking a major milestone in the ₹6,800 crore project.

2.The tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, reducing travel distance by 27 km and time by over 2 hours, crucial for both civilian access and military logistics.

3.For defense, the project ends reliance on vulnerable airlifts, enhances troop deployment speed, and offers protection from enemy surveillance and artillery, directly addressing vulnerabilities exposed during the 1999 Kargil War.

The Big Picture
Prelims · HighMains · Medium

The Zojila tunnel, India's strategic high-altitude infrastructure project, has achieved a construction breakthrough. This 13-km tunnel will provide year-round connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, ending the region's winter isolation and bolstering military mobility along the sensitive LAC and LOC.

Exam Lens

Quick Exam Facts From News

Project Cost₹6,800 crore
Tunnel Length13 km
Altitude11,758 feet
Construction MethodNew Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM)
New Target CompletionFebruary 2028
Distance Reduction27 km
Travel Time CutOver 2 hours
Longest Vertical Shaft (India)474.30 metres

1-Minute Revision

  • ›Project Cost: ₹6,800 crore
  • ›Tunnel Length: 13 km
  • ›Target this Data: ₹6,800 crore, 13 km length, 11,758 ft altitude, Feb 2028 deadline.
  • ›Target this Nodal Body: National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) - implementing agency.
  • ›Target this Technical Method: New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) for fragile Himalayan geology.

Mastered this topic? Test your knowledge with a full MCQ quiz.

Practice exam-style questions, track your score, and strengthen your recall.

Q1Static LinkageEasy

Which public sector company is the implementing agency for the Zojila tunnel project?

Q2Statement-basedHard

Consider the following statements regarding the Zojila tunnel:

1. It will reduce the travel distance between Sonamarg and Drass by 27 km.

2. The tunnel is being constructed using the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) method.

3. One of its vertical shafts is the longest in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Q3Data-centricMedium

What is the revised target completion year for the Zojila tunnel project as mentioned in the article?

Q4Application/ImpactMedium

What is a primary strategic defense objective achieved by the Zojila tunnel, as highlighted in the article?

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