Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road or Zanskar Highway[1] is a road under construction between the Indian union territory of Ladakh and the state of Himachal Pradesh, passing through the region of Zanskar. It connects Nimmu in the Indus Valley to Padum, the capital of Zanskar, to Darcha village in Lahul and Spiti.[2] It provides an alternative to the Leh–Manali Highway in linking Ladakh with the rest of India.[3] It is being built by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) of the Indian army. Construction of road is expected to be completed by late 2023.[4] The already completed Atal tunnel and the proposed Shingo La Tunnel which is expected to be completed by 2025 will provide all weather connectivity.[5]
Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road
Darcha-Padum road winding up to Shingo La, elev. 4,975m (16,322')
It is estimated that travel on this road will only take 10-12 hours to reach Leh from Manali, as opposed to the Leh-Manali highway taking almost 14-16 hours under good weather condition. The road is strategic for the Indian Army as it is set back from the international border and can facilitate safe troop movements.[3]
In 1979, when Ladakh was divided into two districts by the state of Jammu and Kashmir, the predominantly Buddhist region of Zanskar was attached to the Muslim-majority Kargil district.[10] Work on the stretch of the road between Nimmu and Padum, called the Chadar Road, was begun by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Works Department in the 1970s.[11] But it was reportedly cancelled by a member of the Legislative Assembly from Srinagar to prevent linking of Zanskar with Leh. Due to linguistic and religious similarities between Zanskar and Leh, the politicians of Kargil had apprehensions that it might eventually come under Leh's jurisdiction. So, instead of the Chadar Road, a road between Kargil and Padum was constructed.[12]
Following the Kargil War in 1999, the unfinished Chadar Road project was handed over to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).[11][13] Trekkers on the Chadar trek (the frozen Zanskar River during winters) perceived the planned road as spoiling the wild and pristine environment. The central government questioned the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2007 about the need for the road. The councillor of the Lingshed constituency replied that it was a "right" and a necessity for the development of the remote and backward villages of the region.[12]
In September 2020, the Border Roads Organisation reported that only a 30-kilometre stretch of the road remained incomplete.[3]
Route
The northern terminus is located at Nimmu in Ladakh, about 35 km (22 mi) east of Leh. The distance from Nimmu via Padum to the southern terminus at Darcha in Himachal Pradesh is 297 km (185 mi). The road consists of three major sections: Nimmu - Padum, Padum - Shingo La, Shingo La - Darcha.[14]
Nimmu terminus to Padum
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2023)
The total distance from Nimmu to Padum is 156 km (97 mi) on the proposed alignment. Only 30 km remained to be commissioned as of 2020. This section covers the following towns/villages:[14]
Confluence of Stod and Zanskar near Padum. Road from Nimmu enters lower left, exits lower right to Padum.
Padum to Shingo La pass
From Padum, the road runs south along the Tsarap Lingti Chu river up to Purne, a distance of 53 km (33 mi).[15] At Purne, the road crosses the river and continues along the Kargiakh Chu, a left bank tributary of the Tsarap up to Lakhang Sumdo. This distance of 39 km (24 mi) has a gentle gradient.[16] Thereafter, the road climbs steeply from 4,460 m (14,630 ft) up to the Shingo La pass at 5,091 m (16,703 ft), covering a distance of 10.5 km (6.5 mi).[17] The total distance covered in this segment is 102.5 km (63.7 mi).
Road winding down the right bank of the Tsarap towards Padum, Oct '22
Grey goral doe
Road under construction in Tsarap gorge, Oct '22
Phuktal Gompa near Purne
Bridge over the Tsarap at Purne, view from NW
Confluence at Purne
Kargyak, view from south
Road from Kargyak south to Gonbo Rangjon
Road from Shingo La down towards Lakang Sumdo
Shingo La to Darcha terminus
The newly-surfaced road (as of Oct '21) continues from the Shingo La pass down to the Darcha terminus. The road descends on the right bank of the Jankar Nala through Ramjak to Zanskar Sumdo, which has a helipad. The Jankar Nala enters a short gorge about 100 ft (30 m) deep. On the sides of the gorge is a Buddhist shrine to the deity Palden Lhamo. The road crosses the gorge and runs along the left bank via Chikka and Rarik to meet the Leh-Manali Highway about 2 km before Darcha. This segment covers a distance of approximately 38 km (24 mi).[18]
Road under construction on right bank of Jankar Sangpo near Ramjak, Oct '20
Ramjak up to Shingo Ri, road left to centre, Oct '20
Road from right to centre, down Jankar Nala near Ramjak, Oct '20
Cyclists on under-construction road to Shingo La pass, Oct '20
Road construction near Zanskar Sumdo, Oct '20
Construction accident, Oct '20
Newly-surfaced road below Zanskar Sumdo
Gorge, bridge and shrine at Palden Lhamo, Oct '20
Jankar Nala gorge
Buddhist prayer stones
Chikka & Rarik villages, 6 km from the Darcha terminus, Oct '20
Junction list
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (May 2023)
^Lahul was separated from Ladakh at the end of the Tibet–Ladakh–Mughal War (1679–1684) and Upper Kinnaur was annexed to Bashahr. Spiti was annexed to British India after the Treaty of Amritsar through a poorly documented transaction.
^ abcManjeet Singh Negi (6 September 2020). "Ground report: India's 'untraceable' road connecting Manali-Leh to allow hassle-free troop movement". India Today.
^Ghoshal, Devjyot (29 September 2020). "High road at Chilling: India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China". Reuters.
^"Defence ministry clears the BRO tunnel under Shinkun La in Ladakh]". Hindustan Times. 19 May 2021.
^Powers, John; Templeman, David (2012). Historical Dictionary of Tibet. Scarecrow Press. p. 387. ISBN978-0-8108-7984-3. In the past, La dwags [Ladakh] sometimes included sBal ti yul (Baltistan); Zangs dkar [Zanskar]; Lahaul; Spiti; the Aksai Chin (Hin. Aksä'i cina; Ch. Akesai Qin); and mNga' ris [Ngari].
^Fisher, Margaret W.; Rose, Leo E.; Huttenback, Robert A. (1963). Himalayan Battleground: Sino-Indian Rivalry in Ladakh. Praeger. pp. 18–19 – via Archive.org. The Ladakhi chronicles state that the eldest son [of King Nyimagon], Pal-gyi-gön [Lhachen Palgyigon], received Ladakh and the Rudok area; the second son, Tra-shi-gön [Trashigon], Guge and Purang; while the third son, De-tsuk-gön [Detsukgon], was given Zanskar, Spiti and Lahul.
^Cunningham, Alexander (1854). Ladak: Physical, Statistical, Historical. London: Wm. H. Allen and Co. p. 18 – via Archive.org. Ladak is divided politically between Maharaja Gulab Sing and the East-India Company. To the former belong all the northern districts, to the latter only the two southern districts of Lahul and Spiti.
^Gutschow, Kim (2006). "The Politics of Being Buddhist in Zangskar: Partition and Today". India Review. Vol. 5, no. 3–4. pp. 470–498. doi:10.1080/14736480600939306. ISSN 1473-6489. S2CID 42308945.
^Demenge (2011), p. 80. "The road under construction passed into BRO hands in 2001, following the war and the recommendations of the Kargil Committee. It was already under construction for civilian purposes but the war demonstrated the need for all-year-round access to Ladakh to move troops and supplies to the Pakistani front, as opposed to the existing roads that were closed for five to six months in winter."
^ abVats, Rohit (23 August 2020). "Connecting Ladakh: India's growing road network to link borders with the mainland". India Today. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
^OpenStreetMap contributors (5 November 2022). "Padum-Purne route" (Map). OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 5 November 2022.[self-published source]
^OpenStreetMap contributors (5 November 2022). "Purne-Shingo La route" (Map). OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 5 November 2022.[self-published source]
^OpenStreetMap contributors (5 November 2022). "Shingo La" (Map). OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 5 November 2022.[self-published source]
^OpenStreetMap contributors (5 November 2022). "Padum–Darcha route" (Map). OpenStreetMap. OpenStreetMap. Retrieved 5 November 2022.[self-published source]
Bibliography
Demenge, Jonathan (2011). The Political Ecology of Road Construction in Ladakh(PDF). University of Sussex.
Demenge, Jonathan (2013). "The Road to Lingshed: Manufactured Isolation and Experienced Mobility in Ladakh". Himalaya: The Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies. Vol. 32, no. 1. pp. 51–60.
June 05, 2023
nimmu, padum, darcha, road, zanskar, highway, road, under, construction, between, indian, union, territory, ladakh, state, himachal, pradesh, passing, through, region, zanskar, connects, nimmu, indus, valley, padum, capital, zanskar, darcha, village, lahul, sp. Nimmu Padum Darcha road or Zanskar Highway 1 is a road under construction between the Indian union territory of Ladakh and the state of Himachal Pradesh passing through the region of Zanskar It connects Nimmu in the Indus Valley to Padum the capital of Zanskar to Darcha village in Lahul and Spiti 2 It provides an alternative to the Leh Manali Highway in linking Ladakh with the rest of India 3 It is being built by the Border Roads Organisation BRO of the Indian army Construction of road is expected to be completed by late 2023 4 The already completed Atal tunnel and the proposed Shingo La Tunnel which is expected to be completed by 2025 will provide all weather connectivity 5 Nimmu Padum Darcha roadDarcha Padum road winding up to Shingo La elev 4 975m 16 322 Major junctionsNorth endNimmu LadakhSouth endDarcha Himachal PradeshLocationCountryIndiaStatesLadakh Himachal PradeshPrimarydestinationsNimmu Ladakh Padum Ladakh Darcha Lahaul amp Spiti Himachal PradeshHighway systemRoads in IndiaExpressways National State AsianIt is estimated that travel on this road will only take 10 12 hours to reach Leh from Manali as opposed to the Leh Manali highway taking almost 14 16 hours under good weather condition The road is strategic for the Indian Army as it is set back from the international border and can facilitate safe troop movements 3 Contents 1 History 2 Route 2 1 Nimmu terminus to Padum 2 2 Padum to Shingo La pass 2 3 Shingo La to Darcha terminus 3 Junction list 4 See also 5 Notes 6 References 7 BibliographyHistory Edit Frozen Zanskar River called Chadar was used for travelling between Padum and Leh Padum nestled beneath the Zanskar Range Road from Nimmu lower left road to Darcha centre left Oct 2022 Shingo La view towards Darcha Oct 2022 New road from Zanskar Sumdo to Darcha Oct 2020 The regions of Lahul Lha yul and Spiti sPi ti were earlier part of Ladakh 6 They were attached to Zanskar 7 By 1847 when the British Raj arrived they were separated from Ladakh and made a part of British Punjab Thus the connections between Zanskar and Lahul and Spiti were partly severed 8 a Nevertheless Lahaulis fought for the defence of Ladakh and Zanskar during the Indo Pakistani War of 1947 1948 Major Prithi Chand trekked over the Zoji La pass in winter to arrive in Leh before the raiders from Gilgit 9 In 1979 when Ladakh was divided into two districts by the state of Jammu and Kashmir the predominantly Buddhist region of Zanskar was attached to the Muslim majority Kargil district 10 Work on the stretch of the road between Nimmu and Padum called the Chadar Road was begun by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Works Department in the 1970s 11 But it was reportedly cancelled by a member of the Legislative Assembly from Srinagar to prevent linking of Zanskar with Leh Due to linguistic and religious similarities between Zanskar and Leh the politicians of Kargil had apprehensions that it might eventually come under Leh s jurisdiction So instead of the Chadar Road a road between Kargil and Padum was constructed 12 Following the Kargil War in 1999 the unfinished Chadar Road project was handed over to the Border Roads Organisation BRO 11 13 Trekkers on the Chadar trek the frozen Zanskar River during winters perceived the planned road as spoiling the wild and pristine environment The central government questioned the state of Jammu and Kashmir in 2007 about the need for the road The councillor of the Lingshed constituency replied that it was a right and a necessity for the development of the remote and backward villages of the region 12 In September 2020 the Border Roads Organisation reported that only a 30 kilometre stretch of the road remained incomplete 3 Route EditThe northern terminus is located at Nimmu in Ladakh about 35 km 22 mi east of Leh The distance from Nimmu via Padum to the southern terminus at Darcha in Himachal Pradesh is 297 km 185 mi The road consists of three major sections Nimmu Padum Padum Shingo La Shingo La Darcha 14 Nimmu terminus to Padum Edit This section needs expansion You can help by adding to it May 2023 The total distance from Nimmu to Padum is 156 km 97 mi on the proposed alignment Only 30 km remained to be commissioned as of 2020 This section covers the following towns villages 14 Nimmu Chiling Nerak Zangla Padum Confluence of Stod and Zanskar near Padum Road from Nimmu enters lower left exits lower right to Padum Padum to Shingo La pass Edit From Padum the road runs south along the Tsarap Lingti Chu river up to Purne a distance of 53 km 33 mi 15 At Purne the road crosses the river and continues along the Kargiakh Chu a left bank tributary of the Tsarap up to Lakhang Sumdo This distance of 39 km 24 mi has a gentle gradient 16 Thereafter the road climbs steeply from 4 460 m 14 630 ft up to the Shingo La pass at 5 091 m 16 703 ft covering a distance of 10 5 km 6 5 mi 17 The total distance covered in this segment is 102 5 km 63 7 mi Karsha Gompa north of Padum Road widening by blasting Oct 22 Batch mixing plant for road work near Amnu Road winding down the right bank of the Tsarap towards Padum Oct 22 Grey goral doe Road under construction in Tsarap gorge Oct 22 Phuktal Gompa near Purne Bridge over the Tsarap at Purne view from NW Confluence at Purne Kargyak view from south Road from Kargyak south to Gonbo Rangjon Road from Shingo La down towards Lakang SumdoShingo La to Darcha terminus Edit The newly surfaced road as of Oct 21 continues from the Shingo La pass down to the Darcha terminus The road descends on the right bank of the Jankar Nala through Ramjak to Zanskar Sumdo which has a helipad The Jankar Nala enters a short gorge about 100 ft 30 m deep On the sides of the gorge is a Buddhist shrine to the deity Palden Lhamo The road crosses the gorge and runs along the left bank via Chikka and Rarik to meet the Leh Manali Highway about 2 km before Darcha This segment covers a distance of approximately 38 km 24 mi 18 Road under construction on right bank of Jankar Sangpo near Ramjak Oct 20 Ramjak up to Shingo Ri road left to centre Oct 20 Road from right to centre down Jankar Nala near Ramjak Oct 20 Cyclists on under construction road to Shingo La pass Oct 20 Road construction near Zanskar Sumdo Oct 20 Construction accident Oct 20 Newly surfaced road below Zanskar Sumdo Gorge bridge and shrine at Palden Lhamo Oct 20 Jankar Nala gorge Buddhist prayer stones Chikka amp Rarik villages 6 km from the Darcha terminus Oct 20Junction list EditThis section needs expansion You can help by adding to it May 2023 Srinagar Leh Highway in Nimmu Padum Kargil Highway in Padum Leh Manali Highway in DarchaSee also EditLeh Manali Highway Shingo La Zanskar River Phuktal MonasteryNotes Edit Lahul was separated from Ladakh at the end of the Tibet Ladakh Mughal War 1679 1684 and Upper Kinnaur was annexed to Bashahr Spiti was annexed to British India after the Treaty of Amritsar through a poorly documented transaction References Edit Demenge 2011 p 80 note 59 Demenge 2011 p 26 a b c Manjeet Singh Negi 6 September 2020 Ground report India s untraceable road connecting Manali Leh to allow hassle free troop movement India Today Ghoshal Devjyot 29 September 2020 High road at Chilling India builds Himalayan bridges and highways to match China Reuters Defence ministry clears the BRO tunnel under Shinkun La in Ladakh Hindustan Times 19 May 2021 Powers John Templeman David 2012 Historical Dictionary of Tibet Scarecrow Press p 387 ISBN 978 0 8108 7984 3 In the past La dwags Ladakh sometimes included sBal ti yul Baltistan Zangs dkar Zanskar Lahaul Spiti the Aksai Chin Hin Aksa i cina Ch Akesai Qin and mNga ris Ngari Fisher Margaret W Rose Leo E Huttenback Robert A 1963 Himalayan Battleground Sino Indian Rivalry in Ladakh Praeger pp 18 19 via Archive org The Ladakhi chronicles state that the eldest son of King Nyimagon Pal gyi gon Lhachen Palgyigon received Ladakh and the Rudok area the second son Tra shi gon Trashigon Guge and Purang while the third son De tsuk gon Detsukgon was given Zanskar Spiti and Lahul Cunningham Alexander 1854 Ladak Physical Statistical Historical London Wm H Allen and Co p 18 via Archive org Ladak is divided politically between Maharaja Gulab Sing and the East India Company To the former belong all the northern districts to the latter only the two southern districts of Lahul and Spiti Gutschow Kim 2006 The Politics of Being Buddhist in Zangskar Partition and Today India Review Vol 5 no 3 4 pp 470 498 doi 10 1080 14736480600939306 ISSN 1473 6489 S2CID 42308945 Demenge 2013 pp 52 53 a b Demenge 2013 p 52 a b Demenge 2013 p 53 Demenge 2011 p 80 The road under construction passed into BRO hands in 2001 following the war and the recommendations of the Kargil Committee It was already under construction for civilian purposes but the war demonstrated the need for all year round access to Ladakh to move troops and supplies to the Pakistani front as opposed to the existing roads that were closed for five to six months in winter a b Vats Rohit 23 August 2020 Connecting Ladakh India s growing road network to link borders with the mainland India Today Retrieved 20 May 2023 OpenStreetMap contributors 5 November 2022 Padum Purne route Map OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap Retrieved 5 November 2022 self published source OpenStreetMap contributors 5 November 2022 Purne Shingo La route Map OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap Retrieved 5 November 2022 self published source OpenStreetMap contributors 5 November 2022 Shingo La Map OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap Retrieved 5 November 2022 self published source OpenStreetMap contributors 5 November 2022 Padum Darcha route Map OpenStreetMap OpenStreetMap Retrieved 5 November 2022 self published source Bibliography EditDemenge Jonathan 2011 The Political Ecology of Road Construction in Ladakh PDF University of Sussex Demenge Jonathan 2013 The Road to Lingshed Manufactured Isolation and Experienced Mobility in Ladakh Himalaya The Journal of the Association for Nepal and Himalayan Studies Vol 32 no 1 pp 51 60 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nimmu Padum Darcha road amp oldid 1156277709, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
