Tunnel to Provide Year-Round Connectivity Between Srinagar and Sonamarg

Sonamarg, Jan 9: The much-anticipated 6.5-km Z-Morh Tunnel, located near the Gagangir area in Ganderbal district along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, is set to be inaugurated next week by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

Although the exact inauguration date has yet to be confirmed, it is expected that the Prime Minister will unveil the tunnel on January 13 or 14. Preparations for his visit are already underway.

Top officials from both the civil and police administrations have been visiting the Z-Morh Tunnel site to ensure everything is in place for the PM’s visit. Among those who visited the site were Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Vijay Kumar Bidhuri; Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kashmir, Vidhi Kumar Birdi; Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Central Kashmir Range (CKR); Deputy Commissioner (DC) Ganderbal; Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Ganderbal; as well as representatives from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL) and APCO Amarnathji Tunnelway Pvt Ltd.

Once operational, the Z-Morh Tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg, a popular tourist destination in Ganderbal district. The bi-directional tunnel will feature an escape tunnel for safety during emergencies. Additionally, a 5-km approach road will be part of the project.

The Z-Morh Tunnel is a significant infrastructure project valued at approximately Rs 2400 crore.

Work on the tunnel faced delays between 2017 and 2019 due to financial issues with the original contractor, Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), which led to the abandonment of the project. Subsequently, the government issued fresh bids on June 24, 2019, for a revised total project cost of Rs 2378.76 crore under a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) annuity model. The project was eventually awarded to APCO Amarnathji Tunnelway Pvt Ltd for completion at a cost of Rs 2379 crore.