Srinagar/Sonamarg, Jan 13 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday inaugurated the strategically important 6.4 km-long Z-Morh, also called Sonamarg tunnel, in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district,officials said.
PM Modi arrived at Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district from the Srinagar technical airport in a special helicopter to inaugurate the tunnel, they said
The Prime Minister and other dignitaries took a walk in the tunnel soon after its inauguration and came back to the venue.
Among others the inauguration ceremony was attended by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Union Minister Jitender Singh, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and other dignitaries.
The Z-Morh Tunnel project, along the Srinagar- Leh highway has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. It comprises the Sonamarg main tunnel, an egress tunnel and approach roads.
It will also promote tourism by transforming Sonamarg into a year-round destination, boosting winter tourism, adventure sports, and local livelihoods.
Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, it will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg enroute to Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche routes and ensuring safer and uninterrupted access to the strategically critical Ladakh region. The Z-Morh tunnel is a vital part of the Zojila tunnel project, designed to provide round the year road connectivity between Ladakh and Srinagar.
The Prime Minister will also address a public gathering soon after the inauguration of the tunnel. A large number of people, undeterred by the freezing temperatures gathered in Sonamarg to listen to the Prime Minister's address.
He will also meet the tunnel construction workers and engineers who have worked in challenging conditions, acknowledging their contribution to this engineering feat.
This is PM’s first visit since an elected government came to power in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in October last year.
UNI QAB/MJR KK