Will help troops, boost tourism & economy
*It will be an all-weather highway
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 13: The Government has drafted the proposal for construction of Paddar-Zanskar road, which will be another road link between Jammu and Ladakh and will not only give a boost to tourism and local economies but will also help in smooth movement of troops to China and Pakistan borders in Ladakh.
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The proposed road is likely to be undertaken by the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways after carrying out detailed study and its route.
Construction of Paddar-Zanskar road was first announced by Union Home Minister Amit Shah during address to a public rally at Paddar in September last year.
Officials told the Excelsior that proposal for the road has been drafted and is being sent to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways for detailed study, proposed route and Detailed Project Report (DPR) before work on it is launched.
Twin routes proposed for the road include 45-kilometer via Kishtwar-Atholi-Machhil-Soomchan-Zongkhulm and 80 kilometers via Kishtwar-Atholi-Dangail-Pot La-Bardhan/Haftal, directly linking Ladakh with Jammu.
Ladakh is currently linked from Jammu via Srinagar but Srinagar-Leh National Highway remains closed for few months of winter due to heavy snowfall. To link Ladakh round-the-clock with Jammu, Zojila tunnel is being constructed and when this is completed, Srinagar-Leh Highway will become an all-weather route.
Leh is also connected via Manali in Himachal Pradesh but again this is a fair-weather road. However, Paddar-Zanskar will be an all-weather road when its construction is completed.
Bilaspur-Manali-Leh rail line is also proposed.
India has Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China in Eastern Ladakh and Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan in Kargil. Movement of the troops is presently hampered due to closure of Srinagar-Leh Highway during winters but it will become smooth after construction of Zojila tunnel and Paddar-Zanskar road.
“The Paddar-Zanskar Road will serve as a critical strategic link to fortify national security along India’s borders with China and Pakistan, and at the same time will rejuvenate cultural and historical ties and boosts tourism and local economies in these regions,” the officials said.
The Paddar-Zanskar Road is not just a project of infrastructural importance, but a lifeline that will transform the connectivity between Ladakh and the Paddar region in Jammu & Pangi Valley in Himachal Pradesh.
The Paddar-Zanskar road will also provide a safer route through Paddar Sub-Division, bypassing areas vulnerable to anti-national elements.
As part of the broader development plan, a 31 km road from Paddar to Lossani Machail has already been sanctioned, the officials said.
The most feasible and cost-effective solution would be constructing an 8 km tunnel from Lossani to Dangail via Dharlong Nallah and Chamo Chohar, linking directly to Zanskar in Ladakh.
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