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Nimmu–Padum–Darcha road (NPD road) or Zanskar Highway is a road between the Indian union territory of
Ladakh Ladakh () is a region administered by India as a union territory and constitutes an eastern portion of the larger Kashmir region that has been the subject of a Kashmir#Kashmir dispute, dispute between India and Pakistan since 1947 and India an ...
and the state of
Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh (; Sanskrit: ''himācāl prādes;'' "Snow-laden Mountain Province") is a States and union territories of India, state in the northern part of India. Situated in the Western Himalayas, it is one of the thirteen Indian Himalayan ...
, passing through the region of
Zanskar Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is the southwestern region of Kargil district in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre of Zanskar is Padum. Zanskar, together with the rest of Ladakh, was briefly a part of the kin ...
. It connects
Nimmu Nimo or Nyemo () is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous community development block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Leh tehsil, 35 km from Leh. Nimoo is a stop for all the river rafting groups and is ...
in the
Indus Valley The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the disp ...
to
Padum Padum (also known as Padam) is the main town and the administrative centre of the Zanskar tehsil in Kargil district, Ladakh, India. Named after the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, it was historically one of the two main capitals of the Zanskar Kin ...
, the capital of Zanskar, and to
Darcha Darcha (elevation 3,360 m or 11,020 ft) is a pair of villages (Darcha Sumdo and Darach Dangma) on the Bhaga River in the Lahaul sub-division in the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Himac ...
village in
Lahul and Spiti The Lahaul and Spiti district is a high-altitude district in Himachal Pradesh, north India. This entirely mountainous district consists of two geographically distinct as well as formerly separate political-administrative units, called Lahaul ( ...
. It provides an alternative to the
Leh–Manali Highway The Leh–Manali Highway is a long highway in northernmost India connecting Leh, the capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh, to Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh, and forms part of NH3. It crosses four passes: Rohtang La, Baralacha ...
in linking Ladakh with the rest of India. It was built by the
Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This include ...
(BRO) of the Indian Army. The construction of road was completed in March 2024. The already completed
Atal tunnel Atal Tunnel () is a road tunnel connecting Manali and Keylong. It helps in bypassing the Rohtang Pass, Himachal Pradesh in the eastern Pir Panjal range of the Himalayas. It carries two lanes of National Highway 3. It is the longest highwa ...
, and the under-construction unidirectional-twin-tube 4-lane Shingo La Tunnel, which is expected to be completed by 2027 will provide all weather connectivity and reduce the distance from Manali to Kargil by 522 km. 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 conditions. The road is strategic for the
Indian Army The Indian Army (IA) (ISO 15919, ISO: ) is the Land warfare, land-based branch and largest component of the Indian Armed Forces. The President of India is the Commander-in-Chief, Supreme Commander of the Indian Army, and its professional head ...
as it is set back from the international border and can facilitate safe troop movements. The Nimmu-Padam Darcha road is just 298 km from Darcha in Himanchal Pradesh.


History

The regions of Lahul (''Lha yul'') and Spiti (''sPi ti'') were earlier parts of Ladakh. They were attached to
Zanskar Zanskar, Zahar (locally) or Zangskar, is the southwestern region of Kargil district in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. The administrative centre of Zanskar is Padum. Zanskar, together with the rest of Ladakh, was briefly a part of the kin ...
. By 1847, when the
British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...
arrived, they were separated from Ladakh and made a part of
British Punjab The Punjab Province, officially the Province of the Punjab, was a province of British India, with its capital in Lahore and summer capitals in Murree and Simla. At its greatest extent, it stretched from the Khyber Pass to Delhi; and from th ...
. Thus the connections between Zanskar and Lahul and Spiti were partly severed. 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 Zoji La (sometimes Zojila Pass) is a high mountain pass in the Himalayas. It is located in the Ganderbal district of Jammu and Kashmir and the Kargil district of Ladakh, both union territories of India. This pass connects the Kashmir Valle ...
pass in winter to arrive in Leh before the raiders from Gilgit could. In 1979, when Ladakh was divided into two districts by the state of
Jammu and Kashmir Jammu and Kashmir may refer to: * Jammu and Kashmir (union territory), a region administered by India as a union territory since 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (state), a region administered by India as a state from 1952 to 2019 * Jammu and Kashmir (prin ...
, the predominantly Buddhist region of Zanskar was attached to the Muslim-majority
Kargil district Kargil district is a district in Indian-administered Ladakh in the Kashmir#Dispute, disputed Kashmir-region,The application of the term "administered" to the various regions of Kashmir and a mention of the Kashmir dispute is supported by the ...
. Work on the stretch of the road between
Nimmu Nimo or Nyemo () is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous community development block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Leh tehsil, 35 km from Leh. Nimoo is a stop for all the river rafting groups and is ...
and
Padum Padum (also known as Padam) is the main town and the administrative centre of the Zanskar tehsil in Kargil district, Ladakh, India. Named after the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, it was historically one of the two main capitals of the Zanskar Kin ...
, called the Chadar Road, was begun by the Jammu and Kashmir Public Works Department in the 1970s. 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. Following the
Kargil War The Kargil War, was fought between India and Pakistan from May to July 1999 in the Kargil district of Ladakh, then part of the Indian-administered state of Jammu and Kashmir (state), Jammu and Kashmir and along the Line of Control (LoC). In In ...
in 1999, the unfinished Chadar Road project was handed over to the
Border Roads Organisation The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is a statutory body under the ownership of the Ministry of Defence of the Government of India. BRO develops and maintains road networks in India's border areas and friendly neighboring countries. This include ...
(BRO). Trekkers on the
Chadar trek The Chadar Trek or the Zanskar Gorge trek is a winter trail over the frozen Zanskar River, which lies in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months. The trail ...
(the frozen
Zanskar River The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely within Ladakh, India. It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and t ...
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 Lingshet (or Lingshed) is the headquarters of the Singelalok block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in Khalsi tehsil, about a day's trek from the nearest road. The village can be accessed via a road through Singela from Lamay ...
constituency replied that it was a "right" and a necessity for the development of the remote and backward villages of the region. In May 2023, the Border Roads Organisation reported that only a 15-kilometre stretch of the road remained incomplete. On 20 June 2024, the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) conducted a trial run of a bus service from
Keylong Kyelang (also spelled Keylong) is a town and the administrative centre of the Lahaul and Spiti district in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, north of Manali via Atal Tunnel and from the Indo-Tibetan border. It is located along the Mana ...
in Lahaul to Padum. This is the first time that a public bus has traversed this route. The 37-seat bus took 9 hours for the journey. Commercial service is expected to start after further formalities.


Route

The northern terminus is located at Nimmu in Ladakh, about east of Leh. The distance from Nimmu via Padum to the southern terminus at Darcha in Himachal Pradesh is . The road consists of three major sections: Nimmu – Padum, Padum – Shingo La, Shingo La – Darcha.


Nimmu terminus to Padum

The total distance from Nimmu to Padum is on the proposed alignment. Only 15 km remained to be commissioned as of May 2023. This section covers the following towns/villages: *
Nimmu Nimo or Nyemo () is a village and the headquarters of an eponymous community development block in the Leh district of Ladakh, India. It is located in the Leh tehsil, 35 km from Leh. Nimoo is a stop for all the river rafting groups and is ...
* Chiling * Nerak *
Zangla Zangla is a village in Zanskar tehsil of Kargil district, in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is located southeast of Kargil city, the district headquarters, and northeast of Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar. An ancient ruined pal ...
*
Padum Padum (also known as Padam) is the main town and the administrative centre of the Zanskar tehsil in Kargil district, Ladakh, India. Named after the Buddhist guru Padmasambhava, it was historically one of the two main capitals of the Zanskar Kin ...
File:NPD_Road_South_Zangla_Zanskar_Jun24_A7CR_00970.jpg, NPD road towards Padum, ~ south of Zangla File:NE Panorama Stongdey Zanskar Jun24 A7CR 00965.jpg, Stongdey village below the NPD road File:Entrance Arch Kumik Zanskar Jun24 A7CR 00957.jpg, Entrance arch to spur road to Kumik village File:Kumik Stongde Kangri Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03998.jpg, Zanskar - Stod confluence near Padum. Road from Nimmu lower left, to Padum lower right.


Padum to Shingo La pass

From Padum, the road runs south along the Tsarap Lingti Chu river up to Purne, a distance of . 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 has a gentle gradient. Thereafter, the road climbs steeply from up to the Shingo La pass at , covering a distance of . The total distance covered in this segment is . File:Karsha Village Gompa Close Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03919.jpg, Karsha Gompa north of Padum File:Tsarap Shila Padum Valley Zanskar Oct22 R16 06617.jpg, Road enters Padum valley along left bank of Tsarap File:Upstream Tsarap Shila Zanskar Ladakh Oct22 A7C 04138.jpg, Tsarap gorge south from Padum File:Blast_Debris_Excavator_Road_Zanskar_Oct22_A7C_03684.jpg, Road widening by blasting, Oct '22 File:Batch Mixer Road Amnu Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03676.jpg, Batch mixing plant for road work, near Amnu File:Tsarap Chu Valley Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03679.jpg, Road winding down the right bank of the Tsarap towards Padum, Oct '22 File:Grey Goral Doe Zanskar Ladakh Oct22 R16 06676.jpg, Grey goral doe File:Road Construction Tsarap Below Purne Zanskar Oct22 A7C 04403.jpg, Road construction, Tsarap gorge, Oct '22 File:Phuktal Gompa1.jpg, Phuktal Gompa near Purne File:Purney Bridge NW Tsarap Ladakh Oct22 R16 06681.jpg, Bridge over the Tsarap at Purne, view from NW File:Confluence Tsarap Purne Lungnak Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03655.jpg, Confluence at Purne File:Kargyak South Lungnak Zanskar India Oct22 A7C 03612-13 Pano.jpg, Kargyak, view from south File:Gonbo Rangjon North Zanskar Oct22 A7C 04602.jpg, Road from Kargyak south to Gonbo Rangjon File:Padum Road Shingo La Zanskar Oct22 A7C 03574.jpg, 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 deep. On the sides of the gorge is a Buddhist shrine to the deity
Palden Lhamo Palden Lhamo ("Glorious Goddess",Volkmann, Rosemarie: "Female Stereotypes in Tibetan Religion and Art: the Genetrix/Progenitress as the Exponent of the Underworld" ''in'' , )Dowman, Keith. (1988). ''The Power-Places of Central Tibet: The Pilgri ...
. 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 . File:Jankar Nala Ramjak Grass Oct20 D72 18148.jpg, Road under construction on right bank of Jankar Sangpo near Ramjak, Oct '20 File:Jankar Nala Ramjak Shingo Ri Lahaul Oct20 D72 18107.jpg, Ramjak up to Shingo Ri, road left to centre, Oct '20 File:Padum Zanskar Sumdo Road Jankar Nala Lahaul Oct20 D72 18099.jpg, Road from right to centre, down Jankar Nala near Ramjak, Oct '20 File:Cyclists Shingo La Road Lahaul Oct20 D72 18081.jpg, Cyclists on under-construction road to Shingo La pass, Oct '20 File:Road Work Zanskar Sumdo Lahaul Oct20 D72 18188.jpg, Road construction near Zanskar Sumdo, Oct '20 File:Road Work Accident Zanskar Sumdo Lahaul Oct20 D72 18199.jpg, Construction accident, Oct '20 File:New Road Zanskar Sumdo Lahaul Oct20 D72 18201.jpg, Newly-surfaced road below Zanskar Sumdo File:Palden Lhamo Jankar Nala Lahaul Oct20 D72 18287.jpg, Gorge, bridge and shrine at Palden Lhamo, Oct '20 File:Jankar Nala Gorge Palden Lhamo Lahaul Oct20 D72 18211.jpg, Jankar Nala gorge File:Prayer Stones Palden Lhamo Lahaul Oct20 D72 18239.jpg, Buddhist prayer stones File:Jankar_Nala_Rarik_Oct20_D72_18292.jpg, Chikka & Rarik villages, 6 km from the Darcha terminus, Oct '20


Inter-connectivity

*
Srinagar-Leh Highway National Highway 1D (NH 1D), also known as Srinagar–Leh Highway, was a National Highway in the state of Jammu and Kashmir that connected Srinagar to Leh in Ladakh. The Srinagar-Leh Highway was declared as National Highway in 2006. It is now ...
at Nimmu * Padum-Kargil Highway at Padum *
Leh–Manali Highway The Leh–Manali Highway is a long highway in northernmost India connecting Leh, the capital of the Union Territory of Ladakh, to Manali in the state of Himachal Pradesh, and forms part of NH3. It crosses four passes: Rohtang La, Baralacha ...
at Darcha * "Sumdo-Nidder-Rhongo Road" (SNR Road), 64 km long road was completed by December 2023.YEAR-END DEADLINE SET FOR BRO TO COMPLETE 20 ROADS ALONG LAC AS STANDOFF WITH CHINA LOOKS INCREASINGLY IRREVERSIBLE
INDIAN DEFENCE NEWS, AUGUST 03, 2023.


Tourism

There are several ancient
Buddhist monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which may ...
(
gompa A Gompa or Gönpa or Gumba ("Five Breathtaking Gumbas Around Kathmandu", ''OMG Nepal'', https://omgnepal.com/five-breathtaking-gumbas-around-kathmandu/ "remote place", Sanskrit ''araṇya''), also known as ling (, "island"), is a sacred Buddhist ...
), such as the Phuktal Monastery. This road is also the route of famous
Chadar trek The Chadar Trek or the Zanskar Gorge trek is a winter trail over the frozen Zanskar River, which lies in the Indian union territory of Ladakh. It is traditionally the only means of travel in the area during the harsh winter months. The trail ...
('ice sheet'), the 62 km long, 8 day (including acclimatization at Leh) snowy trek which starts and ends at the motorable Shingra Koma, the trek goes to
Tsomo Paldar Tsomo is a town in Chris Hani District Municipality in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. The town is 45 km east of Qamata and 48 km west of Ndabakazi. History Founded in 1877, it originated as a military station known as Tsomo ...
&
Tibb cave Tecnomasio was an Italian scientific and precision instrument company founded in the 1860s. By the beginning of the 20th century the company has begun to produce electrical equipment. After financial problems in the early 1900s the company was acq ...
to Nerak, and then traverse back to Tsomo Paldar.


See also

* Leh-Manali Highway *
Shingo La Shinku La (or Shingo La) mountain pass on Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road strategic road on the state boundary between Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, connects the Zanskar region of Ladakh with the Lahaul region of Himachal Pradesh. The under-construct ...
*
Zanskar River The Zanskar River is the first major tributary of the Indus River, equal or greater in volume than the main river, which flows entirely within Ladakh, India. It originates northeast of the Great Himalayan range and drains both the Himalayas and t ...
* Phuktal Monastery


Notes


References


Bibliography

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nimmu - Padam - Darcha road Scenic roads in India Roads in Himachal Pradesh Himalayas Roads in Ladakh Transport in Ladakh Transport in Himachal Pradesh