J&K, Ladakh to get Rs one lakh cr worth more projects in Phase-II
*Leh, Kargil to get all-weather road connectivity
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 28: Union Minister for Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari today set December 2023 as deadline for completion of Z-Morh tunnel connecting Srinagar with Kargil which will provide all-weather connectivity to the Union Territory of Ladakh and announced Rs one lakh crore worth more road projects for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in the Phase-II while projects and tunnels to the tune of an equal amount are already under construction.
Gadkari made these announcements while speaking to media persons after inspecting construction work on Z-Morh tunnel this morning on second day of his two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh,
Union Minister of State for Road Transport and National Highways Gen (Retd) VK Singh, Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur and senior officials of National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) were present on the occasion.
“Just cooperate with me and we will execute roads, National Highways, tunnels etc in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in just two years which were not done in the last 50 years,” Gadkari said.
Asserting that his Ministry is carrying out works to the tune of Rs one lakh crore in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the Union Minister announced that in Phase-II also, the Ministry will take up works to the tune of an equal amount.
“Some works are being executed by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) and others by the NHIDCL. Performance and financial audit is more important for us. The organization which gives more priority to the projects will get more works. There can be no compromise on quality but reducing cost is a factor,” the Union Minister said.
Gadkari asked the private company constructing the Asia’s longest road tunnel at Zojila Pass to complete it by December 2023.
He said in a lighter vein, “The official target for Zojila tunnel is 2026, but seeing the progress I can say that the project can be completed by December 2023. This is the target I have set because we will have election in 2024.”
The 14.4 km Zojila tunnel is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the country and the biggest in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh. Gadkari said there is a proposal to build an escape tunnel along the under construction project and his Ministry will soon take a call. This may cost another Rs 4,000 crore.
The Minister also said J&K and Ladakh will get 31 tunnels with cumulative length of 52 km with an investment of Rs 1.4 lakh crore in the next couple of years. While 20 tunnels will be complete with a cumulative length of 32 km in Jammu and Kashmir, another 11 will be built with a total length of 20 km in Ladakh.
“The completion of tunnels at Z-Morh and Zojila will provide all-weather connectivity from Srinagar to Leh. This will become the ‘highway to growth for socio-economic development’ in the region,’’ the Union Minister said.
He said Sonamarg will see spurt in the number of hotels and facilities for adventure sports during the winters. “Kashmir is no less than the heaven on earth. When we had gone to Switzerland, someone asked whether we ever visited Srinagar. He said, J&K is many times better than Switzerland.”
The Z-Morh tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg will provide connectivity in all weather conditions between Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Kargil in Ladakh.
Asked whether the speed of construction work of the Z-Morh tunnel increased after Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh became Union Territories, Gadkari said, “These issues are for you to evaluate (ye sab baaten apke adhyan aur chintan ke liye hai).”
The project cost of the Z-Morh tunnel is Rs 2,300 crore.
The Z-Morh tunnel project is under the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL).
For the Z-Morh tunnel, there is a five-km approach road and the tunnel is 6.5-km long and is bi-directional. It also has an escape tunnel for emergencies.
Gadkari said since 2014, the national highway has been extended from 1695 kilometers to 2664 kilometers and that tunnels are important because Jammu and Kashmir is in the Himalayan region.
”I am not here to point fingers, but this work was supposed to be done a long time ago. We have given it a lot of attention,” he said, adding that in Jammu and Kashmir, there are around a lakh crores worth of projects in the works, with six of them being the most important for the socio-economic development of Jammu and Kashmir.
During his two-day visit to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Minister reviewed progress on Tunnel 1 and Tunnel 2 at the Nilgrar site. Tunnel 1 is a 435-meter-long twin-tube tunnel, while Tunnel 2 is 1.95-kilometers long. These twin tunnels are part of the 18-kilometer approach road to Zojila’s west portal.
According to a project Engineer, NHIDCL is prepared to continue work on the Zojila tunnel during the winter months, and the project will provide all-weather connectivity to the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The tunnel has historical significance, according to Prashant Kumar (DGM), and the Government has been working on it for the last 20 years. “We are working around the clock to complete the project on time and connect the dots before the deadline, without wasting a single day,” he said.
When completed, the Zojila tunnel will be India’s longest road tunnel and Asia’s longest bi-directional tunnel. Several bridges are being constructed along this route, and a connecting tunnel from Z-Morh on National Highway-1 to Zojila tunnel in the Zojila Ghats will be built between Sonamarg and Kargil.
Govt sacks Consultant, to award Ramban-Banihal work afresh
The Central Government has sacked the Technical Consultant and blacklisted him for delay of work on Ramban-Banihal stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and announced that new contract worth Rs 2000 crore is being awarded and the project will be completed in next two years.
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Speaking to reporters, Union Minister of State for Road Transport and National Highways Gen (Retd) VK Singh said the Technical Consultation has been blacklisted as the ideas floated by him for work on Ramban-Banihal stretch of the National Highway didn’t work.
“We have started fresh work and new contract worth Rs 2000 crore is being awarded. We will like the work to be completed in next two years,” Singh said.
He added that Banihal-Ramban road is loose and even because of slight rains, the structure comes down.
On Kishtwar-Anantnag road via Sinthan Pass, the Union Minister expressed confidence that work on the project will be completed by December 2022 which will ease travel and serve as an alternate axis.
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