Faroz Ahmed / Kargil

The work on Zojila Tunnel that promises all year road connectivity between J&K and Ladakh, picked pace as K K Pathank, Managing Director of the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited visited the construction site at Spanjala Minamarg in Kargil on Thursday.

He reviewed the work going on in minus 30 degrees Celsius.

Feroz Ahmed Khan, Chief executive councilor of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Kargil, Executive Director Sanjeev Malik and Executive Directors of RO-Ladakh and Srinagar BK Chand, DC Kargil and DC Ganderbal also accompanied Pathak.

After a ground review of the east and west portals of the Zojila tunnel, the team reviewed the progress of the route to the tunnel. Two more tunnels are being constructed there.

Pathak asked officials and contractors to increase the pace of the construction work. He also instructed the authority's engineers to closely monitor construction and planning activities.

Meanwhile, the local people of Dras also called on Pathak and requested him to complete the project soon so that they could travel through the tunnel during their lifetime.

Residents of Drass meeting Pathak

People thanked all those associated with the construction of the Zojila Tunnel in this minus temperature. Drass of Kargil is the coldest inhabited place in India where temperatures have dropped even to minus 52 degrees Celsius.

Feroze Ahmad Khan thanked MD NHIDCL for the visit to Kargil and requested him to engage the local unemployed youth in tunnel work so that maximum local youth can get work. He also requested for a special recruitment rally for Ladakh at NHIDCL.

He also requested to complete other projects under NHIDCL in Kargil district at the earliest, including NH 301, Shinkula Tunnel etc.