Z-Morh Tunnel

Context: Militants
shot dead seven people in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Sunday evening.
The attackers opened fire at a campsite housing workers of APCO Infratech, a construction
firm which is building the strategically vital Z-Morh tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh
highway.

Z-Morh
tunnel

·       About: It is an
under-construction 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the
Srinagar-Leh Highway in Jammu and Kashmir. It is named for the Z-shaped stretch
of road between Sonamarg and Gagangir that the tunnel will replace. Length: 6.5 km, Elevation: 8,960
feet.

·       Features: The tunnel
is designed for the flow of 1,000 vehicles an hour at an approved maximum speed
of 80 km per hour.

·       Importance: At 8,960
feet, tourist destination Sonmarg is covered in snow during the winter season,
forcing locals to shift to Srinagar. 
Z-Morh tunnel will ensure that Sonmarg town in Jammu & Kashmir
remains connected as well as supplies are maintained all year round. It will
ensure all-weather connectivity between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and
Kargil in Ladakh.

·       Strategic Importance: Along with
the 14.15 km Zojila Tunnel to its east, it aims to enhance the Indian
military’s capabilities in Kashmir and Ladakh along both the Line of Control
(LOC) to the north and the Line of Actual Control (LAC) further east.

·       Background: The tunnel
project was originally conceived by the Border
Roads Organisation (BRO) in 2012. The BRO had awarded the construction contract
to Tunnelway Ltd. However, the project was later taken over by the National Highways & Infrastructure
Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL). The NHIDCL re-tendered the tunnel
project, and the contract was bagged by APCO Infratech. The project was
originally expected to be completed by August 2023, but was delayed for various
reasons.