Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi officially opened a strategic Himalayan road tunnel on 13 January, allowing year-round access to the contentious high-altitude northern regions that border China and Pakistan.
The Z-Morh or Sonmarg tunnel, which extends 6.4 kilometres beneath a perilous mountain pass that remains snowbound for four to six months annually, is a component of a broader infrastructure initiative in the border regions. This tunnel facilitates the connection between Indian-administered Kashmir and Ladakh, serving as a crucial link in ensuring year-round access to the Srinagar-Leh Highway for the swift transportation of military supplies.
“With the opening of the tunnel here, connectivity will significantly improve,” Modi said on cutting the ribbon on the USD 313 million project that has taken a decade to construct.
A separate tunnel along the same route, the 13-kilometer Zojila tunnel, is currently over 50% complete and is expected to be inaugurated in 2026, as reported by the Indian Ministry of Information.
India and China are fierce rivals vying for strategic dominance in South Asia. Their 3,500-kilometre shared border has consistently been a source of friction. In 2020, a confrontation between their troops resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, and currently, military forces from both nations continue to stand off against each other in disputed high-altitude border regions.
The Z-Morh tunnel experienced an attack in October, which resulted in the deaths of seven workers, indicative of the prolonged insurgency in the contested region of Kashmir. Since the end of British colonial rule in 1947, the predominantly Muslim region of Kashmir has been partitioned between India and Pakistan, both of which assert full claims over the Himalayan territory. Various rebel factions advocate for either the independence of Kashmir or its integration with Pakistan.
India has also constructed a railway line establishing a connection between the lowland plains and Kashmir for the first time. This project includes the development of the Chenab Rail Bridge, which holds the distinction of being the highest bridge of its kind globally. The 272-kilometre railway commences in Udhampur, a garrison city that serves as the headquarters for the army’s northern command, and extends to the region’s capital, Srinagar.
