SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will on Monday inaugurate the strategic 6.4-km Z-Morh tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir. This will give all-weather connectivity to the tourist destination Sonamarg in central Kashmir, allowing the travellers to visit the picturesque place throughout the year, boosting its tourism potential, and also reducing the travel time between J&K and Ladakh. The Z-Morh tunnel has been constructed at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. The project includes the main tunnel, parallel escape tunnel and a ventilation tunnel. The main tunnel is 10.8 metres long, with a modified horseshoe-shaped escape tunnel of 7.5 metres, D-shaped ventilation tunnel of 8.3 metres, two major culverts of 110 metres and 270 metres length, and one small culvert, which is 30 metres long.The tunnel is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that provide real-time updates and seamless connectivity for users.Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, the Z-Morh tunnel will facilitate all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg enroute Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche prone routes. “It will give uninterrupted connectivity from Srinagar to Sonamarg throughout the year, boosting local trade and tourism. Earlier, snowfall and avalanches used to cut off Sonamarg every winter,” an official said.The tunnel, he said, would also give enhanced access to Thajiwas glacier and white-water rafting on Sindh river.The Prime Minister will meet construction workers, who have worked meticulously in the harshest conditions, acknowledging their contribution to this engineering feat. This will be his first visit to the Valley since an elected government led by Omar Abdullah took charge as J&K CM.
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