Zoji La
2020 MAR 16
Preliminary >
Geography > Places in news > Places in news
Why in News?
- The Zojila tunnel, meant to provide all-year connectivity between Leh and Srinagar, might undergo design changes in order to avoid cost escalation.
- Centre aims to complete building the tunnel at the original estimated cost of approximately Rs 6,800 crore.
- The project is strategically important because the Zojila Pass, located on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National Highway at an altitude of 11,578 feet (nearly 3,529 metres), is closed in the winters due to snowfall, consequently cutting Ladakh off from Kashmir.
About Zoji La
- Zoji La is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
- The pass links Leh and Srinagar and provides an important link between Union Territories of Ladakh and Kashmir.
- Zojila pass remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir.
- In 2018, the Zojila tunnel project was launched. The tunnel is Asia's longest and strategic bi-directional tunnel, which will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.
PRELIMS QUESTION:
Q. Which of the following pairs of Mountain pass and the corresponding state/UT is wrongly matched?
a) Bomdi la : Arunachal Pradesh
b) Lipu lekh : Himachal Pradesh
c) Zoji la : Jammu and Kashmir
d) Nathu la : Sikkim
Answer to Prelims question