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[BRO-Strategic Road - Darcha-Padum-Sengge La-Khalsi-Leh]
- Manali - Leh is one of the two main roads connecting Ladakh with rest of the country.
- BRO has recently opened two new roads, which serve a strategic purpose by providing an alternate to Manali-Leh and civic purpose
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![[BRO-Strategic Road - Darcha-Padum-Sengge La-Khalsi-Leh]- Manali - Leh is one of the two main roads connecting Ladakh with rest of the country. - BRO has recently opened two new roads, which serve a strategic purpose by providing an alternate to Manali-Leh and civic purpose+](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ee_ZXYDUEAEmAtO.jpg "[BRO-Strategic Road - Darcha-Padum-Sengge La-Khalsi-Leh]- Manali - Leh is one of the two main roads connecting Ladakh with rest of the country. - BRO has recently opened two new roads, which serve a strategic purpose by providing an alternate to Manali-Leh and civic purpose+")
- Manali - Leh is one of the two main roads connecting Ladakh with rest of the country.
- BRO has recently opened two new roads, which serve a strategic purpose by providing an alternate to Manali-Leh and civic purpose
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Road 1: This road starts at Darcha in Himachal Pradesh, crosses 16K+ feet high Singo La/Shinku La pass, and then follows the alignment of Lungnak river to reach Padum in Zanskar river valley.- This road also opens up direct access to Kargil sector from Himachal Pradesh
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- Earlier, Kargil could either be accessed from Srinagar side or by continuing further on the Manali - Leh highway towards Kargil
- Now, there is direct access from Darcha to Kargil via Padum:
- - -> Manali-Kargil: 685+ km
- - -> Manlai-Darcha-Padum-Kargil: ~500 km.
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- Earlier, Kargil could either be accessed from Srinagar side or by continuing further on the Manali - Leh highway towards Kargil
- Now, there is direct access from Darcha to Kargil via Padum:
- - -> Manali-Kargil: 685+ km
- - -> Manlai-Darcha-Padum-Kargil: ~500 km.
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- But it more than just about distance; its about having an alternate communication axis which is very imp in any conflict.
- Civic Implication: As the map shows, for locals living in the Zanskar valley, they'd to either travel to Srinagar (430 km) or Leh (446 km) to have +
- But it more than just about distance; its about having an alternate communication axis which is very imp in any conflict.
- Civic Implication: As the map shows, for locals living in the Zanskar valley, they'd to either travel to Srinagar (430 km) or Leh (446 km) to have +
+ access to any major market.
- With this new road, locals can access Manali (~300 km) in Himachal for major purchases
Road 2: Connects Zanskar Valley with Leh via Khalsi and completely bypasses the much longer Padum-Kargil-Leh road (450+ km) which was a 2-day journey.
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- With this new road, locals can access Manali (~300 km) in Himachal for major purchases
Road 2: Connects Zanskar Valley with Leh via Khalsi and completely bypasses the much longer Padum-Kargil-Leh road (450+ km) which was a 2-day journey.+
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- Road existed from Khalsi till Neyak village and rest of the road was opened a few days back.
- Road passes through two high altitude passes - Sirsir La (15,500 ft; pic1) and Sangge La (16,500 ft; pic2) (both pics sourced from internet)
- Road existed from Khalsi till Neyak village and rest of the road was opened a few days back.
- Road passes through two high altitude passes - Sirsir La (15,500 ft; pic1) and Sangge La (16,500 ft; pic2) (both pics sourced from internet)
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- From Singge La (Lion Pass!), road bifurcates to Nerak village and the famous Lingshed Monastery.
- Nerak Village falls along the Zanskar river and from here onward, the road follows the alignment of Zanskar river into the Zanskar valley.
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- From Singge La (Lion Pass!), road bifurcates to Nerak village and the famous Lingshed Monastery.
- Nerak Village falls along the Zanskar river and from here onward, the road follows the alignment of Zanskar river into the Zanskar valley.
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Road 3: A road is under-construction from Nimmo (confluence of Zanskar & Indus river), which follows the Zanskar river alignment, and close to Nerak, meets the new road towards Zangla which has been recently opened.
- Road already exists till Chilling and has to be
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Road 3: A road is under-construction from Nimmo (confluence of Zanskar & Indus river), which follows the Zanskar river alignment, and close to Nerak, meets the new road towards Zangla which has been recently opened.- Road already exists till Chilling and has to be
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+ extended further.
- This Nimmoo - Zangla-Padum-Darcha road will be ~300 km in lenght and is expected to be all weather.
- In comparison, Manali-Leh road is ~480 km in length and four high altitude mountain passes.
- While a tunnel is being built under Rohtang Pass, there +
- This Nimmoo - Zangla-Padum-Darcha road will be ~300 km in lenght and is expected to be all weather.
- In comparison, Manali-Leh road is ~480 km in length and four high altitude mountain passes.
- While a tunnel is being built under Rohtang Pass, there +
+ three other passes - Baralacha La (16,500 ft), Nakee La (15,547 ft), Lachulung La (16,616 ft) and the highest, Tanglang La (17,480 ft).
- In comparison, Nimmoo-Padum-Darcha-Manali road will have to cross only one pass, Singo La (16,703 ft).
- On civic side, this will also +
- In comparison, Nimmoo-Padum-Darcha-Manali road will have to cross only one pass, Singo La (16,703 ft).
- On civic side, this will also +
+ connect the entire Zanskar valley to Leh directly on one side, and Manali in Himachal Pradesh on the other.
- Darcha-Shingo La-Padum road was opened for light vehicle (4x4 at least) traffic in 2019.
- At present, it is just a compacted surface and exercise to black-top it +
- Darcha-Shingo La-Padum road was opened for light vehicle (4x4 at least) traffic in 2019.
- At present, it is just a compacted surface and exercise to black-top it +
+ will take some more time.
- Same goes for the newly opened Nerak to Zangla road.
- Even the road from Photoksar to Sengge La and Lingshed monastery is mainly simple compacted road.
- But good enough for 4x4 and higher vehicles.
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- Same goes for the newly opened Nerak to Zangla road.
- Even the road from Photoksar to Sengge La and Lingshed monastery is mainly simple compacted road.
- But good enough for 4x4 and higher vehicles.
[END]
My article in @IndiaToday on the Nimmo-Padum-Darcha (NPD) Road, current status, and its strategic and socio-economic significance. https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/connecting-ladakh-india-growing-road-network-to-link-borders-with-the-mainland-1713978-2020-08-22
The Atal Rohtang tunnel will finally become a reality in September. Approved in 2002, we will finally see it being operational in 2020. Like most such projects, most of the work happened post 2014. Need more sense of urgency in completing these tasks. https://www.indiatoday.in/india-today-insight/story/a-peek-inside-the-atal-rohtang-tunnel-1714648-2020-08-24
Since we're discussing Rohtang Pass and the new tunnel, some pics from a looong time back when I had an opportunity to visit the pass.
Rohtang Pass-2
Kullu Valley (morning) -
A video commentary on the recently opened Wanla-Neraq-Padum-Shinku La - Darcha road axis by @nitingokhale https://twitter.com/StratNewsGlobal/status/1300278983133724672?s=20
