Shinkun La Tunnel

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About Shinkun La Tunnel:

It is an upcoming motorable tunnelunder the 16,580 feet high Shinku-La pass betweenHimachal’s Lahaul valley and Ladakh’s Zanskar valley.
It is located on the Nimu-Padam-Darcha Road link.
The length of the tunnel will be 4.1 km.
After completion, the Shinku-la tunnel will be the longest high altitude highway tunnel in the world.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) will construct the tunnel at a cost of Rs. 1,681.5 crores.
It will provide all-weather road connectivity to Ladakh, and this will be the shortest route to the border areas of Ladakh.
It is expected to streamline the transportationof heavy machinery to strategic locationssuch as Kargil, Siachen, and the Line of Control (LOC), reducing travel distances by approximately 100 km.
The traffic movement in the tunnel will not be vulnerable to long-range artillery shelling or missile firings, either by China or Pakistan.

Key Facts about Border Roads Organisation (BRO):

It is a road construction executive force in India that provides support to the Indian Armed Forces.
Establishment: It was formed on 7 May, 1960, to secure India’s borders and develop infrastructure in remote areas of the north and north-east states of the country.
It developsand maintains road networks in India’s border areas and friendly neighboring countries.
This includes infrastructure operations in 19 states and three union territories (including Andaman and Nicobar Islands) and neighboring countries such as Afghanistan, Bhutan, Myanmar, Tajikistan, and Sri Lanka.
Officers and personnel from the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF) form the parent cadre of the BRO.
It is also staffed by officers and troops drawn from the Indian Army’s Corps of Engineers on extra regimental employment (on deputation).
BRO is also included in the Order of Battle of the Armed Forces, ensuring their support at any time.
Motto of the organization: Shramena Sarvam Sadhyam (everything is achievable through hardwork).

Q1: What is the Line of Control (LOC)?

LoC is a geographical line lying between India and Pakistan’s controlled parts of the former (under the British) Jammu and Kashmir and controlled by the army. This line is not actually a legally recognized international boundary but prevails as per de facto. After the Simla Agreement signed in July 1972, this line was officially renamed as “Line of Control” from “the Cease-fire Line”.

Source: BRO to complete 2 roads near China border, start work on world’s highest tunnel