Turning an accident-prone road into an accident-proof one
India has recently inaugurated a 6.5 km long Z-Morh tunnel, costing $1 billion in IoK, ensuring all-weather connectivity between Ladakh and Kashmir. With this, India aims to improve the security, trade, and tourism sectors of the region. This is not the only tunnel India has constructed in Kashmir; more than 15 tunnels are in the process of completion. Most notable among them is the 14 km Zojila tunnel, slated to be completed in 2026; upon its completion, it will become India’s longest tunnel at an elevation of 12,000 feet above sea level. These tunnels will not only ensure the security of IoK, which borders the two main arch-foes of India—China and Pakistan—but also bring a booming effect to the tourism industry of Kashmir.
In comparison to India, Pakistan has constructed naught on its side of Kashmir. Although Pakistan has more opportunities than India in its held part in terms of tourism—such as 7,000 glaciers (the largest out of the polar world), gigantic mountains (notably the mighty K-2), verdant prairies, serene lakes and falls, and the like—one loses count if he tries to count them.
Turning to the road infrastructure, the only route connecting Skardu to Pakistan is the strategic highway S-1, also known as the Gilgit-Skardu road, which meets the Karakoram Highway near Juglot. It is the sole thoroughfare for trading commodities from other parts of the country to Skardu. Any accident on this road leads to its closure, which results in a shortage of basic amenities in the area. Therefore, it can be aptly said that the thoroughfare serves as the lifeline for the one million population of the Baltistan region.
Before FWO started its construction, it was an ancient footpath that the people of Skardu used to travel to Gilgit. The construction of the road started in 1968 by the Indigenous working department, PWD. Later on, army engineers slightly widened the road in 1972. The formal construction started in 1974 when the army construction wing, FWO, was entrusted with the task. The FWO completed the project in 1984. The width of the road was 3.6 meters, which was barely enough to pass two vehicles at a time.
It was only in 2015 when the government of Pakistan decided to upgrade and widen the road. Initially, the construction project was given to a foreign company and awarded 50 billion rupees for it. But later on, FWO was entrusted with the project, which it completed in only 32 billion rupees, saving a whopping 20 billion at the cost of hundreds of lives. The upgradation started in 2017 and was to be completed by 2020, but instead, it was completed in 2022. At first, FWO included several tunnels in the project to elude the hard zigzag gorges, but to the astonishment of the people of GB, it was completed without a single tunnel. The FWO only widened the road from 3.6m to 7.3m, leaving the vehicles at the mercy of frail guardrails on the sharp and blind turns in more than a hundred locations.
In addition, the company used some archaic engineering style by breaking the large rocks through intensive explosions. This created chasms in adjacent rocks that fell onto the road from time to time. At some points, the road was intentionally made zigzag, though the science behind it is yet to be known. Along with it, floods and landslides are a common phenomenon on the road. Sometimes vehicles are buried under debris and come to light only when the debris is removed. Such a heart-wrenching accident occurred recently in December, which left 6 people dead near Malupa, Skardu. Alone in 2024, more than 150 passengers died, according to media reports. However, most cases go unrecorded due to the lack of communication and media access, but surely, the real figure is likely to be more astonishing than this.
Some accidents in recent times involve tourists who carry their own vehicles and drive them personally, leading to accidents. This happens because they are unused to the topsy-turvy routes. On June 24, a large vehicle carrying 5 people fell into the ravine and killed all of them. In a similar event, in July, another accident killed more than 5 tourists who were en route to Skardu.
Although it is not the only route connecting Skardu to other parts of the country, another route is the Gorikot-Shagharthang Road. This road was considered by both China and Pakistan as an alternative route for the CPEC project. Work on the project was inaugurated in 2023 by then-chief minister GB Khalid Khursheed. The project included a 12 km Shounter tunnel, connecting Shounter to Rattu. Once completed, the route will connect Yarkand in China to Skardu, Astore, and Muzzaffarbad AJK, reducing the distance by 350 kilometers compared to the Khunjarab pass route. Unfortunately, the project is now in a dormant state and no major developments have been made in recent times.
Gilgit Baltistan is an important region in many aspects. First, it serves as the gateway to CPEC. Second, it borders India from many sides, which makes it vulnerable in terms of security. Third, the region is the busiest and most visited tourist destination in the country. Thousands of local and international tourists visit the area every year. Therefore, to ensure the security of the region and boost the tourism sector, the government must ensure safe and quick access to the region. However, turning an accident-prone road into an accident-proof one—especially in the mountains—requires a handsome amount. But It is the need of the hour, and the government must prioritize lives over wherewithal.