Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, May 18: In what could be a major step forward in declaration of historic and strategically important Mughal Road as an alternate National Highway to 300-kilometers long Jammu-Srinagar Highway, which is presently the only surface link between Kashmir and rest of the country, the Centre Government has asked the State to submit detailed proposal for declaration of the road as Highway.
“Response from the Central Government has been very encouraging on declaration of Mughal Road as National Highway. After Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed took up the matter with Union Minister of Surface Transport Nitin Gadkari few days back in New Delhi, the Centre has now sought detailed proposal including projected cost, approach roads, total length of the road, construction of tunnel, wayside facilities and steps to make it all weather road etc,’’ official sources told the Excelsior.
They said the Government of India has sought detailed proposal from the Jammu and Kashmir Government on present status of the road, the road length that already stands constructed, the factors that lead to closure of the road frequently confining it to just fair weather road and total kilometer area that would form the new National Highway.
“We are on the job. A detailed proposal has nearly been finalized. It would be submitted to Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed shortly, who would personally forward it to the Union Minister of Surface Transport for approval,’’ sources said, adding going by the response the Central Government has given the State is quite confident and there is every possibility that the Ministry of Surface Transport was likely to give status of the National Highway to the Mughal Road.
As per the proposal being submitted by the State Government to the Surface Transport Ministry headed by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari, there was an urgent need to declare 82 kilometers Shopian-Bafliaz road, which is called the Mughal Road, as National Highway as remaining about 40 kilometers distance from Shopian to Srinagar was already connected with National Highway No. 444.
The Government has also proposed that 50 kilometers road length between Bafliaz to Rajouri can also be part of the new National Highway connecting Bafliaz to Surankote (14 kilometers length) and then up to Rajouri with National Highway No. 144-A i.e. Jammu-Poonch Highway.
“This would make the entire road stretch from Jammu to Rajouri and Poonch and Rajouri to Surankote and Bafliaz as the National Highway making the travel to Srinagar from the alternate road link smooth and fast,’’ sources said.
It has also proposed six kilometers tunnel between Jazna to Chata Paani to make the new National Highway an all weather road. It was in the absence of this tunnel that the existing road has been rendered as fair weather road only. Sources said initially the new Highway has been proposed as double-lane.
Total cost of the Highway could run around Rs 2500 crores as six kilometers tunnel would cost only Rs 1800 crores (Rs 300 crores per kilometer), sources said.
The State Government has very strongly projected the case for declaration of Mughal Road as National Highway as an alternate link between Kashmir and rest of the country as only surface link of Jammu-Srinagar Highway was in dilapidated condition. Even as the Centre proposed widening of existing Jammu-Srinagar Highway, the State wants an alternate all weather road link to ensure that the Valley was not cut off if one of the road links gets blocked.
The Mughal road was proposed in the 1950s with the intention of improving the economy of the valley of Kashmir. The then Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah had taken up this project in 1979 and named it Mughal Road but it came to halt as militancy spread in the State in nineties. Bafliaz bridge on the road was also blown up by the militants.
The construction of the prestigious project was started in October 2005 with a target of completion in March 2007 at an estimated cost of Rs 255 crores. The road cuts through Hirpora Wildlife Sanctuary.
Initially, there was serious opposition to the construction of the road on the excuse of fragmentation of wildlife and inhibit movement of animals, especially the endangered Markhor goat in the region. Also, opponents claimed the road will get early snowfall in winter and hence will not serve as an alternate route to existing Jammu-Srinagar highway. Finally, the Supreme Court had given conditional permission for the construction of the road.
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