Srinagar: Braving sub-zero temperatures, thousands of people from across Kashmir gathered in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district on Monday to witness Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public address, marking the inauguration of the highly anticipated Z-Morh Tunnel project.

The inauguration is set to bring a major shift in the region's connectivity, offering year-round access to the scenic yet strategically important Ladakh region.

Reports said since early morning, hundreds of vehicles ferried attendees to the venue amid bone-chilling cold. The event's location, near the Gagengar area in Sonamarg, has been adorned with massive hoardings, colorful banners, and posters to welcome the Prime Minister.

The crowd, undeterred by temperatures dipping well below freezing, have been waiting for hours to hear PM Modi's address. Sonamarg, already one of Kashmir's most iconic tourist destinations, became a focal point of enthusiasm as residents, tourists, and local youth braved cold temperatures.

After the Prime Minister's arrival, he will visit the Z-Morh Tunnel before addressing the public. He is also expected to meet with the construction workers and engineers who overcame significant challenges to complete the project, recognising their contribution to this engineering achievement.

Located near Sonamarg in central Kashmir's Ganderbal district, the Z-Morh Tunnel is a strategic 6.5 km-long infrastructure project built at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level. It will provide year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg, bypassing areas prone to landslides and avalanches, ensuring safer and more reliable access to Ladakh.

Intense cold continued in Kashmir with Srinagar recording a low of minus 5.1 degree Celsius.

A local MeT department official said that Sonamarg emerged as the coldest recorded place in Kashmir at minus 9.8 degree Celsius, followed closely by Larnoo in south Kashmir's Anantnag district at minus 8.8 degree Celsius.

Temperature in Pahalgam, which serves as one of the two base camps for annual Amarnath yatra, plummeted to minus 8.4 degree Celsius. Ski-resort Gulmarg in north Kashmir's Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 6.5 degree Celsius.

In Ladakh desert region, the cold was even more extreme. In Kargil town temperatures plummeted to minus 12.7 degree Celsius while Leh town recorded a low of minus 9.0 degree Celsius. Drass, the second-coldest inhabited place in the world, recorded a bone chilling minus 22.4 degree Celsius.

The MeT office has predicted cold and dry weather for the next 24 hours across J&K.