STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Union Minister for Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Monday said the dream of having a highway from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will be realised by the beginning of the next year.
“Kashmir to Kanyakumari road was a dream for us. From Rohtang to Ladakh, four tunnels will be constructed. From Leh, we will come to Kargil and join Zojila and Z-Morh tunnels.
“A new road will reduce distance between Delhi and Chennai by 1,312 kilometres. This dream will come true by the start of 2024,” Gadkari told reporters here.
The minister was in the Union Territory to attend the second meeting of the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways.
Gadkari said when the BJP government was formed at the Centre in 2014, we prepared a roadmap for road infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
Gadkari, LG Sinha inspect Z-Morh, Zojila tunnels
GANDERBAL: Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in the presence of Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha and Members of Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways inspected the Geo-strategically important Z-Morh Tunnel on Srinagar-Leh Highway (NH-1) on Monday.
19 tunnels are being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of Rs 25 thousand crore. Under this, construction work of 6.5 km length Z-morh tunnel and approach road is in progress at a cost of Rs 2680 crore. This 2-lane road tunnel is being built under the mountain glacier Thajiwas Glacier between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district of Kashmir.
Under the Z-Morh tunnel project, a main tunnel of total length of 10.8 meters with a modified horse shoe shape escape tunnel of total length of 7.5 meters, D-shaped ventilation tunnel of total length of 8.3 meters, 2 major culverts of total length of 110 meters and 270 meters, 1 small culvert of total length of 30 meters is proposed. Till now 75% work of Z-Morh Tunnel has been completed. A target has been set to dedicate this tunnel by December 2023.
Intelligent Traffic Management System has been installed in Z-Morh Tunnel which will make it easier to control traffic. Along with this, traffic will be facilitated through the dedicated escape tunnel. The Z-Morh tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to the Sonamarg tourist town. The debris generated during the construction work of this project has been used for way-side facilities and development of the area. The area of Z-Morh tunnel is strategically important as its construction will ensure seamless connectivity between Srinagar and Kargil and there will also be considerable reduction in travel time between Srinagar and Leh. This tunnel will promote social and economic development in the entire region. Tourism in Sonamarg will be promoted including activities like whitewater rafting on Thajiwas Glacier and Sindh River.
The Union Minister along with LG Sinha also inspected Zojila Tunnel, Asia’s longest tunnel to establish all weather connectivity for Ladakh and an important project implemented in Jammu and Kashmir along with the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Road Transport and Highways.
19 tunnels are being constructed in Jammu and Kashmir at a cost of Rs 25000 crore. Under this, the construction of 13.14 km long tunnel and approach road at a cost of Rs 6800 crore is in progress in Zojila. It is a 7.57 m high horseshoe-shaped single-tube, 2-lane tunnel, which will pass under the Zojila Pass in the Himalayas between Ganderbal in Kashmir and Drass town in Kargil district of Ladakh. The project includes a Smart Tunnel (SCADA) system, which has been constructed using the New Austrian Tunneling Method. It is equipped with facilities like CCTV, radio control, uninterrupted power supply, ventilation. The use of modern technology in this project has saved the Government of India more than 5000 crore rupees.
Under the Zojila Tunnel project, the main Zojila tunnel of 13,153 meters with 4 culverts of total length of 810 meters, 4 Nilgrar tunnels of total length of 4,821 meters, 8 cut and covers of total length of 2,350 meters and three 500 meters, 391 meters and 220 meters of vertical ventilation shaft are proposed. So far 28% work of Zojila Tunnel has been completed.
With the construction of this tunnel, there will be all-weather connectivity for Ladakh. Curently the average travel time to cross the Zojila Pass sometimes takes three hours, after the completion of this tunnel the travel time will come down to 20 minutes. The reduction in travel time will ultimately result in fuel savings.
The terrain near Zojila Pass is extremely inhospitable, with many fatal accidents taking place here every year. After the completion of Zojila Tunnel, the chances of accidents will be zero. This tunnel will provide year-round connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, which will be extremely important for the development of Ladakh, promotion of tourism, free movement of local goods and movement of Indian armed forces in case of emergency.
“Since then we have undertaken projects worth Rs 1.25 lakh crore in Jammu and Kashmir. Once these projects are complete, the tourist footfall to Jammu and Kashmir will increase by four times. People go to Switzerland, our J&K is more beautiful,” Gadkari said.
The minister said Jammu and Kashmir administration has identified 13 acres of land for creating roadside facilities for tourists.
“The tourism increase will lead to job creation for locals. In the coming few years, we will take the road network of Jammu and Kashmir to American standards,” he added.
In an announcement focusing pilgrimage tourism, Gadkari announced plans for construction of a tunnel between Sheshnag and Panjtarni on the Amarnath yatra route which, he claimed, will reduce the yatra time from the current three days to just nine hours.
“A 110 kilometre road from Khanabal to Panjtarni will be constructed for the ease of Amarnath yatris at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore. The DPR for 73 km stretch from Khanabal to Chandanwari will be done in July 2023.
“The DPR for 37 km stretch from Chandanwari to Baltal via Panjtarni will be done in October this year. A 10.8 kilometre-long tunnel will be constructed between Sheshnag and Panjtarni,” the minister said.
According to the minister, Srinagar Ring Road (from Galander in Pulwama district to Ganderbal district), which is being constructed at a cost of Rs 4,660 crore, will ease the traffic congestion and pollution in the city. Further, the minister made the announcement of construction of a tunnel at Pir Ki Gali on Mughal Road, connecting Poonch in Jammu region to Shopian in the Valley.
“The Rs 6,000 crore project includes Rs 5,000 crore tunnel at Pir ki Gali, which comprises the construction of an all weather road,” he said.
He gave details of the ongoing road projects in the union territory, saying it will reduce the travel time on most routes.
“Tunneling on Jammu-Srinagar corridor has reduced the distance by nearly 20 per cent. The travel time has already been reduced to 5.5 hours (between Jammu and Srinagar). It can be reduced further by two hours once the ongoing works on remaining five tunnels are complete,” he added.
The Union minister also announced that the Z-Morh tunnel, which connects Gagangir with Sonamarg and provides all-weather connectivity to the resort in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir, will be inaugurated in October this year.
“This is a historic and important tunnel in the history of India. The tunnel length is supposed to be the highest in Asia,” Gadkari told reporters after inspecting the work on the site at an altitude of over 11,500 feet.
The Union minister led a 13-member delegation of the Parliamentary consultative committee on the ministry.
The tunnel project through the mighty Zojila Pass at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh National highway is of strategic importance as the highway remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off the Ladakh region from Kashmir.
The single-tube Zojila tunnel from Baltal, in the Ganderbal district of central Kashmir, to Minimarg, in Drass town of Kargil district of Ladakh, is 13 km long with an approach road of 18 km.
Gadkari said the estimated cost of the project was Rs 12,000 crore, but, after discussions with experts and international consultants for a year, its cost was brought down by Rs 5,000 crore.
“This is the first time in the history of our country that we have a saving of Rs 5,000 crore as far as the estimated cost is concerned. This is a very difficult task, the people are working here in minus 26 degrees,” he said.
This is to be a state-of-art-project and with the cooperation of J-K LG Manoj Sinha and his administration, it will be very helpful for us, he said.
Laying out a roadmap for connecting several cities across the country, Gadkari said the Zojila tunnel is one of the important things of “our dream to connect Kashmir to Kanyakumari”. This will be connectivity between north to south, he added.
He also applauded engineers and contractors, saying it is very difficult to work here.
The union minister said about 38 per cent of the work has been completed, and a part of the project will be inaugurated this year for providing relief to the people.
“With the permission of the prime minister, the LG, we want to try to inaugurate a part of the project because that will give relief to the people,” he said.
According to Harpal Singh, Project Head of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Ltd, which is constructing the project, the total length of the project from Sonamarg to Minimarg is 31 km. From Sonamarg to Baltal, it is 18 km, and then the main tunnel from Baltal to Minimarg is 13 km long. The work is going on at a rapid pace on both projects.
Gadkari said the project once completed would develop tourism in the area.
“The tourism in Kashmir will be increased 3-4 times and tourism is a sector which creates maximum employment avenues,” he said.
“I have requested LG and JK government to plan resorts, and adventure sports, and just like Switzerland, we can develop a lot of things here, he said.
“This is under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that we have started this and we are hopeful that we will get this tunnel (completed) as early as possible,” he said.
Asked about its significance in terms of defence forces on the Indo-China border, Gadkari said while he would not like to comment on the defence point of view, the project is very important because the previous war the country fought was Kargil, for which the tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity.
To a question on developing airstrips near the country’s borders, the minister said the government is working on 29 road-cum-airstrip projects, out of which nine have been completed.
“Somewhere, we need permission from the airforce, it is in the process. At the time of emergency, we can use those,” he said.
Asked once the breakthrough of the tunnel is achieved, would the army be allowed to travel on the rough tunnel if need be, Gadkari said whatever has to be done at the time of emergency, it will be done at that time.
“In times of emergency and in the interest of the country, a result is achieved with positivity. There has not been such a need, and there is no possibility of such need, but, if there arises a need, then we will surely do what our defence forces say,” the union minister said.
Later, the minister inspected the work progress on the Z-Morh tunnel, and announced it will be inaugurated in October this year. “We will inaugurate Z-Morh tunnel in October. This will help the people a great deal and also help increase tourism, and employment opportunities,” Gadkari said.
During the event, JK LG Manoj Sinha requested the union minister that local youth be given more employment opportunities in the project. The minister assured Sinha that the contractor has been directed to provide maximum employment opportunities to the local youth.
