Critical road near Line of Actual Control to open this year

New Delhi: A new and short route to Leh overcoming the treacherous high-altitude Shinkun La is set to be open this year, further facilitating troop movements in areas close to the Line of Actual Control.

The Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road that starts from Manali in Himachal Pradesh and reaches the Ladakh capital through a route different from the traditional Manali-Leh highway is almost ready with the Border Roads Organisation planning to inaugurate it this year, according to a report by the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defence that was briefed by the BRO officials.

The House panel tabled the report earlier this week.

When asked by the lawmakers about the status of the all weather tunnel being built under the Shinkun pass, a top BRO official said, “Shinkun La tunnel is going well in time and we are making good progress. As regards the NPD road, we plan to inaugurate it this year itself.”

The Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road, according to sources, derives its strategic importance from two critical factors: it is shorter compared to the other two axes and crosses only one pass, namely Shinkun La (16,558 feet) under which the BRO has been constructing a tunnel to make it an all weather road.

Moreover, the NPD road is shielded from both India-China and India-Pakistan borders unlike the other two axes and can play a critical role in ferrying the logistics.

The BRO may also construct a tunnel under the Khardung La – one of the world’s highest motorable roads – with funding support from the Defence Ministry, but a third planned tunnel on the Batalic road will have to wait.

On the progress made in the construction of India-China border roads, the BRO officials said 55 roads, out of 62 identified in phase-1, have been completed while five of 22 phase-2 roads were constructed. Out of 60 completed roads, as many as 40 are in Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh.

In recent years New Delhi has stepped up in improving border infrastructure in the eastern and western Himalayas.

India’s highest mountain tunnel under Se La in Arunachal Pradesh was inaugurated in 2024 and a fighter airbase is under development at Nyoma in eastern Ladakh.

BRO’s budget has also increased progressively: from Rs 3,779 crore in FY21 to over Rs 12,800 crore in FY 26. This year Rs 13,338 crore has been provisioned initially for the BRO in the budget.