Context:

Recently, PM modi has inaugurated Z-Morh tunnel in in Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir.

• The Z-Morh tunnel is part of a broader initiative to enhance infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir, including the Zoji La Tunnel and other significant projects like the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, which will contribute to making the region more connected and accessible.

About Z-Morh Tunnel

• The Z-Morh Tunnel is 6.4 km long and located in Ganderbal, Kashmir, designed to bypass avalanche-prone areas along the Srinagar-Leh highway.
• The construction of the Z-Morh tunnel began in May 2015 and was completed in 2024. The tunnel had its soft opening in February 2024, and its official inauguration took place in January 2025.
• The project initially began under BRO in 2015, but the development of the tunnel was later handed over to the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), not BRO.
• The Z-Morh tunnel is equipped with advanced technologies, including real-time traffic updates, an intelligent traffic management system, and other features that ensure seamless connectivity and enhance the overall travel experience.

Significance of the tunnel:

• The Z-Morh tunnel will significantly enhance defense logistics by ensuring easier, all-weather access for defense forces between Sonamarg and Srinagar, which is crucial for strategic operations in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.
• The tunnel is expected to drive economic growth by facilitating smoother transportation of goods, boosting trade, and attracting more tourists to Sonamarg. It will also support the development of tourism and local businesses, especially by making the region accessible year-round.
• By improving connectivity between remote regions of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, the tunnel fosters socio-cultural integration, enhancing mobility and accessibility for local populations and promoting unity across these areas.
• The Z-Morh tunnel will open Sonamarg to year-round tourism, including making it a potential ski destination. This will create new economic opportunities and help develop Sonamarg into a major tourist hub.