SRINAGAR, India: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a strategic street tunnel within the Himalayas on Monday (January 13), pushing all-weather entry northward to high-altitude border areas disputed with rivals China and Pakistan .
The Z-Morh or Sonmarg tunnel, which extends 6.4 km below a treacherous mountain go reduce by snow for 4 to 6 months a yr, is a component of a bigger infrastructure undertaking within the border areas .
It helps join Indian-administered Kashmir with Ladakh, serving as a springboard for the year-round opening of the Srinagar-Leh freeway to allow speedy deployment of navy provides.
“With the opening of the tunnel right here, connectivity will enhance considerably,” Modi mentioned, wrapped in a jacket from the freezing chilly after slicing the ribbon on the $313 million undertaking that took a decade to construct.
India and China, the world’s two most populous nations, are fierce rivals competing for strategic affect throughout South Asia, and their shared 3,500km border has been a perennial supply of rigidity.
Their troops clashed in 2020, killing at the very least 20 Indian and 4 Chinese troopers, and forces from either side right this moment face off throughout disputed borderlands at excessive altitude.
Beijing and New Delhi agreed in October on patrols in disputed areas, shortly earlier than a uncommon formal assembly – the primary in 5 years – between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi.
