Team News Riveting
Zojila project, which has a strategic significance in Jammu and Kashmir, would finally take shape.
The union government would soon award the contract to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), which has emerged as the lowest bidder for the project with a quote of Rs 4,509.50 crore. The National Highways and Industrial Development Corporation (NHIDCL), a government body entrusted with the job of executing infrastructure projects in hilly areas, opened the bids on Friday.
On completing, Kashmir and Ladakh regions would be connected with rest the part of the country throughout the year. Stalled for nearly six years, the Zojila tunnel project holds strategic significance as the Zojila Pass is located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway, at an altitude of 11,578 feet and during winters, it remains closed due to heavy snowfall, thereby cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir,
The project was first conceptualized in 2013. It was bid out five times since then but could not find takers. The last time it was bid out in May 2017 and four private players including L&T, ILFS, Jaypee Infratech and Reliance Infra participated.
In June 2017, the contract was awarded to IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd at a price of Rs 4,899 crore. The project was stipulated to be completed in seven years.
In January 2018, IL&FS received the letter of acceptance (LOA)) from National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation (NHIDCL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the road ministry, for project construction. In March 2019 the project was scrapped to be bid out again as the developer IL&FS went bankrupt.
The 14.15-km long Zojila tunnel will reduce the 3.5 hour drive to just 15 minutes of travel. The strategic tunnel is proposed to include modern safety features. Besides, the proposed plan of the tunnel included the provision of emergency telephones as well as fire-fighting cabinets every 125 metres, pedestrian cross passages every 250 metres, and motorable cross passages as well as lay-bys every 750 metres.
The project is expected to give a boost to local businesses as they would get linked to the national market, therefore, leading to an increase in job opportunities at multiple levels.
