The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has commenced work on the third axis connecting Ladakh with the hinterland, the 298-km Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road. The road will link Manali to Leh via Darcha and Nimmu on the Kargil-Leh Highway.
The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road holds strategic significance as it is shorter than the existing Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh routes and traverses only one pass, the Shinkun La (16,558 feet). The construction of a tunnel on the Shinkun La pass will further enhance all-weather connectivity to the Ladakh region.
The project gained momentum in January when equipment and personnel were mobilized during the frozen period of the River Zansakar. BRO DG Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan expressed confidence that the blacktopping of the road will commence soon.
The completion of the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road will bolster defense preparedness and stimulate economic development in the Zanskar valley.