Border Roads Organisation connects Nimmu-Padam-Darcha Road
March 25, 2024: After Srinagar-Leh and Manali-Leh highways, Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has provided Leh Ladakh with third option to connect landlocked Leh Ladakh with outer world with its newly connected road — the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) road. The BRO achieved breakthrough in this road today.
The NPD road connects Nimmu, 30km from Leh on the Leh-Kargil-Srinagar highway with Himachal’s Darcha, 100km from Manali on the Manali-Leh national highway. The work on this strategically important road, which is more beneficial for people of remote Zanskar valley of Ladakh, had started many years back. From Darcha in Lahaul valley of Himachal, the road takes a diversion from the Leh-Manali highway, and passes through Shinkula pass (Shingo La), and enters the Zanskar valley.
Darcha was first connected by Padum, headquarters of Zanskar valley. The work to connect Zanskar valley with Leh was undergoing on war footings for years but the formation cutting of the road along the Zanskar river was extremely dangerous and challenging which even claimed lives of brave BRO workers and officers.
This new road will soon be opened to general traffic movement. The blacktopping of the road will also start soon. Tourists visiting Leh ladakh will now have an alternative option to explore the scenic road.
The true measure of a nation’s progress is not just its highways in cities but also the connectivity it provides to its remotest corners. As the nation was celebrating the festival of colours, Holi, the intrepid personnel of BRO were tirelessly cutting through vertical rock face connecting the final stretch of Niraq gorge in subzero temperature.
March 25, 2024 marked the culmination of many years of hard work, toil, dedication and perseverance by BRO personnel in one of the most challenging terrain and trying weather conditions in the world. With teams engaged on both sides, success came at 23:50 hours on 25 March 2024. Execution of Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road is not just about infrastructure and transportation; its about bridging the gap between aspirations and opportunities, its about empowerment and commitment towards a better future for the people living in Zanskar Valley.
The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road is now the third axis apart from Manali-Leh and Srinagar-Leh which connects Ladakh to the hinterland. The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road derives its strategic importance from the fact that it is not only shorter vis-a-vis the other two axes, but crosses only one pass — Shinku La (16,558 feet) on which tunnel work is about to commence by BRO.
This will result in the road Nimmu-Padam-Darcha having all weather connectivity to strategically important Ladakh region. The provision of connectivity along this strategic third axis to Ladakh will give a quantum boost to our defence preparedness along the Northern Borders.
The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road has a length of 298 Kms and connects Manali to Leh through Darcha (NH-03) and Nimmu on Kargil-Leh Highway. The road while being extremely important from a strategic perspective will also give a tremendous boost to economic development in the remote Zanskar valley.
Speaking about the successful establishment of connectivity, director general border roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan said: “In January when the River Zanskar was frozen, we used this to our advantage and moved equipment and personnel along the frozen river to establish additional attack points. This enhanced the progress of work. Today we have established the connectivity on this vital axis. Soon we will start work on black topping the road. With construction of Shinkun La tunnel commencing, the third all weather axis to Ladakh will be established.”
At this historical juncture it is important to acknowledge the supreme sacrifice made by those BRO personnel who laid down their lives constructing this road. Accolades are due to the indomitable spirit, dedication and perseverance of BRO personnel whose untiring efforts have made this possible. The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road demonstrates BRO’s commitment towards development of roads and infrastructure along our borders.
Shinkula pass reopens: Ladakh’s Zanskar valley connects with Manali
Updated on 4 April 2014
Chief Engineer of Project Yojak of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), RK Saha declared open mighty ShinkuLa pass (Shingo La) which has an altitude of 16558 feet in a record 45 days by daredevil team of 126 RCC primarily responsible for opening of ShinkuLa Pass.
The opening of pass has restored the much needed connectivity between Manali and Zanskar region of UT of Ladakh. On the occasion other officers of BRO and Local administration were also present. Shinkula is the only pass on strategically important Nimmu-Padam -Darcha (N-P-D) road which is the third axis connecting Manali to Leh through Darcha, Padam and Nimmu.
The NPD road is not only shorter than the other two axis but also the fact that Shinkula is the only pass on which the tunnel work is about to commence will make it all weather road boosting not only the defence capability but also the socio economic development in the remote Zanskar region of the UT of Ladakh.
In the year 2023 also the pass had been opened by brave personnel of 126 RCC in 55 days to restore connectivity and while doing so even suffered causalities due to one of team getting stuck in avalanche. This year with the previous experience up the sleeve, opening time has been brought down to 45 days without any untoward incidence.
The pass was kept open by carrying out continuous snow clearance till 18 Feb 2024 which thereafter had to be closed due to limited requirement and extreme weather conditions and unprecedented heavy snowfall of approx. 20 feet in the region.
Snow clearance teams from both Darcha and Kargiakh side had been braving the snow blizzards and subzero temperatures for more than 25 days to clear the heavy snow accumulation of upto 20 feet near the pass to restore the connectivity to Zanskar.
Recently on 25th Mar 2024 the connectivity of strategic N-P-D road has also been achieved which marks beginning of a new era of socio economic development of the Zanskar region. N-P-D road is not just about infrastructure and transportation; its about bridging the gap between aspirations and opportunities, its about empowerment and commitment for a better future of Zanskar. It is a testament of BRO’s commitment in shaping a future that is not only brighter but also more connected and inclusive for the entire region of Ladakh.
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