Zojila Pass

Nov. 28, 2023

The Indian Army "forged thunderstorms" at 11,500 feet near the Zojila Pass to stay battle-ready as the harsh winter set in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

About Zojila Pass:

Zojila Pass, also known as ‘The Mountain Pass of Blizzards’, is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
It is located on theSrinagar-Kargil-Leh highway (NH-1) at a height of 11,650 feet.
It lies in the Greater Himalayan Range.
The pass remains closed for almost half of the yeardue to heavy snowfall.
History:
- It was the site of the Indo-Pakistan War of 1947-48.
- It was captured by militias aided by the Pakistan Army in 1948, with the ultimate aim of capturing Ladakh.
- However, the pass itself was captured by the Indian Armyon 1st November 1948, in an assault codenamed Operation Bison.

What is Zojila Tunnel?

Location: It is an under-construction tunnel situated at an altitude of 11,578 ft (around 3,500 metres) on the Srinagar-Leh Highway in Jammu and Kashmir.
The tunnel would provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Leh on NH-1.
Total Length: 14.15 km.
It will be India’s longest road tunneland Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel.
It would be 9.5-meter wide and 7.57-meter high in the shape of a horseshoe.