*Alternate highway to also facilitate Amarnath yatra
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 24: In a significant development, the Union Government has agreed to provide safe road connectivity to twin mountainous districts of Doda and Kishtwar by constructing new highway, which would also serve as alternate road link to Kashmir valley and facilitate smooth conduct of annual Shri Amarnathji pilgrimage.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways has communicated to the Chief Engineer of Roads and Buildings, Jammu, Hameed Sheikh that in-principle approval has been given to the construction of Sudhmahadev-Marmat-Doda highway to provide alternate and safe road connectivity to Doda and Kishtwar districts.
The Chief Engineer has been directed by the Ministry to immediately float tenders for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) so that further necessary steps could be initiated for giving practical shape to this long pending demand of twin mountainous districts, sources informed.
Since Batote-Doda-Kishtwar National Highway 1B was recently handed over to the R&B Department of the State Government after taking it back from Beacon, the Chief Engineer has been asked to get DPR prepared as early as possible and submit the same to the Ministry so that executing agency is finalized, they said.
“This alternate highway, the proposal for which was mooted long time back, is imperative because of the fact that existing stretch of National Highway 1B from Batote to Pul Doda has already been declared as unsafe due to the reservoir of Baglihar Hydroelectric Project”, sources informed, adding “putting this road to further use is not advisable as it may lead to irreparable loss to public and property”.
It is pertinent to mention here that during 2008 around half a kilometer patch of NH1B was washed off due to capillary action caused by Baglihar pondage. During rainy season every year major portion of Batote-Pul Doda Highway gets damaged due to landslides being caused by the weak strata of mountains.
Stating that Sudhmahadev-Marmat-Doda alternate National Highway would be safe road link to Doda and Kishtwar districts, sources said that Sudhmahadev would be connected with Marmat through two and half kilometer long tunnel and this alternate road link would reduce distance to Doda and Kishtwar districts by around 30 kilometers.
Besides, this new highway would provide alternate road connectivity to Kashmir valley via Kishtwar-Sinthantop and even facilitate annual Amarnathji pilgrimage as it would connect with Anantnag near gateway of Pahalgam (base camp of Amarnathji Yatra), sources said.
“Due to landslides on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway every year Amarnath Yatra remains suspended and existing Batote-Doda National Highway 1B is not given much preference because of its unsafe condition but following construction of Sudhmahadev-Marmat Highway, there would not be any hesitation in diverting Amarnathji pilgrimage to this route”, they said.
MLA Doda, Shakti Parihar, who vigorously took up this alternate highway issue with the Union Ministry and Member of Parliament from Doda-Kathua Lok Sabha seat, Dr Jitendra Singh, said that this alternate road will prove a boon to the State and will contribute in transformation of socio-economic status of the people of Doda and Kishtwar.
“This was our one of the agenda points during Assembly elections and we have succeeded in translating it into reality by getting it approved from the Union Ministry”, he said, adding “this road link would open up several areas having tourism potential and contribute a lot in improving economic condition of the people. Moreover, this project would also provide employment opportunities to the locals”.
When contacted, Chief Engineer, R&B, Hameed Sheikh said, “we will float tenders for preparation of DPR within next few days as this project is of vital importance for the State in general and Doda-Kishtwar in particular”.
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