AP PHOTOS: India builds strategic tunnel project in Kashmir
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Dar Yasin
Vehicles run through the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinVehicles run through the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Indian workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work on the construction of a bridge which will connect Sonamarg to Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinIndian workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work on the construction of a bridge which will connect Sonamarg to Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
FILE - In this April 30, 2016, file photo, Indian army trucks carrying supplies for soldiers drive past walls of snow on the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinFILE - In this April 30, 2016, file photo, Indian army trucks carrying supplies for soldiers drive past walls of snow on the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Land movers work to clear rocks and boulders as they work at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinLand movers work to clear rocks and boulders as they work at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) walk inside the Nilgrar Tunnel after the end of their shift in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinWorkers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) walk inside the Nilgrar Tunnel after the end of their shift in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Kashmiri worker Tariq Ahmed Lone, wearing blue helmet, stands on a crane along with other worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) works inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinKashmiri worker Tariq Ahmed Lone, wearing blue helmet, stands on a crane along with other worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) works inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Nikhil Kumar, center, wearing blue helmet, helps other workers to fix an iron road as they prepare a machine for rock bolting at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinNikhil Kumar, center, wearing blue helmet, helps other workers to fix an iron road as they prepare a machine for rock bolting at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Tariq Ahmed Lone, a Kashmir worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) poses for picture as he works inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinTariq Ahmed Lone, a Kashmir worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) poses for picture as he works inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
An Indian worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) works inside the Nilgrar tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinAn Indian worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) works inside the Nilgrar tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Mohammad Saleem, a drilling machine operator is covered with dust as he poses for picture at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinMohammad Saleem, a drilling machine operator is covered with dust as he poses for picture at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Vehicles run through the Zojila Pass northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinVehicles run through the Zojila Pass northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Indian Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, center, accompanied by his wife looks at the under construction Zojila tunnel in Baltaal, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinIndian Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, center, accompanied by his wife looks at the under construction Zojila tunnel in Baltaal, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Kashmiri workers watch from distance as others drill a hole in the mountain at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinKashmiri workers watch from distance as others drill a hole in the mountain at the entrance of Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
An Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway as Zojila mountain is visible in the backdrop near Z-Morh tunnel in Sonamarg, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinAn Indian army convoy moves on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway as Zojila mountain is visible in the backdrop near Z-Morh tunnel in Sonamarg, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Vehicles run through the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinVehicles run through the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinWorkers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Indian workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work on the construction of a bridge which will connect Sonamarg to Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinIndian workers employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) work on the construction of a bridge which will connect Sonamarg to Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
Kashmiri worker Tariq Ahmed Lone, right, stands on a crane along with another worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinKashmiri worker Tariq Ahmed Lone, right, stands on a crane along with another worker employed by the Megha Engineering And Infrastructures Limited (MEIL) inside the Nilgrar Tunnel in Baltal area, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
A lone truck travels on the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinA lone truck travels on the Zojila Pass, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Sept. 27, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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Dar Yasin
A picture of Hindu craftsman and architect deity Vishwakarma, hangs on a wall of Zojila tunnel in Baltal, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
Dar YasinA picture of Hindu craftsman and architect deity Vishwakarma, hangs on a wall of Zojila tunnel in Baltal, northeast of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 28, 2021. High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall. The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
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High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall.
High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall.
SONAMARG, India (AP) — High in a rocky Himalayan mountain range in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir, hundreds of people are working on an ambitious project to drill tunnels and construct bridges to connect the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, a cold-desert region isolated half the year because of massive snowfall.
Strategically important Ladakh shares de facto borders with Pakistan and China and currently depends on air supplies for about six months of the year.
Officials say a 6.5-kilometer (4-mile) tunnel, the first of four, is already complete and will make the resort town of Sonamarg accessible during the winter months for the first time. Sonamarg marks the end of conifer-clad mountains before Ladakh begins across the rocky Zojila mountain pass.
The $932 million project’s last tunnel, about 14 kilometers (9 miles) long, will bypass the challenging Zojila pass and connect Sonamarg with Ladakh. Officials say it will be India’s longest and highest tunnel at 11,500 feet (3,485 meters).
“It’s not like any other construction work. It’s great learning,” said one of the workers, Tariq Ahmed Lone, as he helped at a drilling machine.
Indian and Chinese soldiers have been engaged in a sometimes violent standoff in the Karakoram mountains in Ladakh for over 16 months along their de facto border, called the Line of Actual Control. Both countries have stationed tens of thousands of soldiers there, backed by artillery, tanks and fighter jets.
Indian military planners view the tunnel project as extremely important for Ladakh. Experts say it will provide logistics flexibility to the military and give it operational and strategic mobility.
Politicians also see an opportunity in the project.
The Zojila part of the tunnel is to be functional in 2026, but India’s road transport and highways minister, Nitin Gadkari, said on a visit to the project site on Tuesday that he hopes the work will be finished before a 2024 general election.
“It’s a challenge I know, but I’m confident they can do it on time,” Gadkari said. “Obviously, we would want it to be finished before the elections.”
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Associated Press videographer Umar Meraj contributed to this report.
