National Highway 1, along the Sindh river, is abuzz with activity — the kind that is seen here only at the time of the annual Amarnath Yatra, a pilgrimage that has been on hold since 2019. The hectic pace of work is a result of the 14.15-km, all-weather Zojila tunnel —India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel — being built.
And now the activity has gained further urgency with the Union government asking contractors to have the construction work finished and polished by 2023, well before the general election in 2024. Some modifications are likely, with the government looking to add an evacuation tunnel in the event of an emergency if the main tunnel gets blocked.
