Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, June 28: Concerned over deteriorating condition of 300 kilometers long Jammu-Srinagar National Highway leading to frequent blockade and heavy jams even before the arrival of full-fledged Monsoon, the Central Government has asked executing agencies to speed up allotment and construction of 4-laning work on remaining five zones of the highway between Jammu and Srinagar to complete the work within stipulated period of about three years. Simultaneously, it has asked the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to maintain the highway properly during peak season of tourism and Amarnath ji yatra.
Official sources told the Excelsior that Union Ministry for Roads and Surface Transport, after getting an SOS from the Jammu and Kashmir Government, has asked the construction agencies, who have been or were been allotted work on remaining five zones of National Highway from Udhampur to Srinagar to immediately complete the tendering process and start work on 4 laning of the National Highway.
The Centre has told the State Government that funds for immediate widening of the highway will be no constraints.
“We have approved Rs 3382.66 crores for 4-laning of the highway from Udhampur to Banihal while funds for widening the highway on remaining stretches will also be cleared shortly by the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which was authorized to release funds for construction purposes,” sources said quoting the Union Ministry telling representatives of the State Government.
Sources said tendering process on five zones of the National Highway from Udhampur to Srinagar was almost complete and the work would be allotted soon. The Centre wants entire work on 4 laning of National Highway including construction of bridges and tunnels completed in three years time period.
Six zones, in which the highway has been divided, included Srinagar-Banihal, Qazigund-Banihal, Banihal-Ramban, Ramban-Udhampur, Chenani-Nashri and Jammu-Udhampur. Work on one of the zones Jammu-Udhampur is nearly complete.
The Government of India, according to sources, has asked the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) to allot the widening work to only those agencies, which take responsibility for maintenance of the road for three years. This formula, they said, is being adopted now countrywide.
From Udhampur onwards, the National Highway up to Srinagar has been divided into five zones including tunnels, which were coming up from Chenani to Nashri and beyond.
The Centre had already approved Rs 1758.68 crores for Udhampur-Ramban section and Rs 1623.98 crores for Ramban-Banihal stretch while it would be releasing more funds for remaining zones of the highway to expedite the work and complete it within time frame of about three years, sources said.
Udhampur-Ramban stretch of the highway would be reduced to 40.07 kilometers only excluding Chenani to Nashri tunnel, which is being constructed under separate sub project while distance of Ramban-Banihal stretch would be 32.10 kilometers.
It may be mentioned here that Jammu-Srinagar National Highway-IA has already been re-designated as NH-44.
The widening of Jammu-Udhampur stretch of National Highway is already on and would be completed shortly.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has opened Nandni tunnels for traffic few months back further reducing the distance between Jammu and Udhampur.
Sources said total approval of Rs 3382.66 crores for vital stretch of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway between Udhampur to Banihal would lead to fast tracking work on the landslide zone of the highway. It was mainly this portion of the highway at Samroli, Nashri, Ramban and Banihal, which was closed due to snowfalls and rains, which trigger landslides.
“The four laning of the highway would not only shorten the travel from Jammu to Srinagar but also provide all weather connectivity as it would be designed in such a way that there were no landslides even during heavy rains and snowfall,” sources said.
The funds for sub-projects of Banihal-Qazigund and Banihal-Srinagar would be approved shortly, sources said, adding the Government of India was committed to complete widening of the strategic National Highway as early as possible. Some of the funds have been released already.
Four-laning of Ramban-Banihal stretch of the highway will be undertaken with the help of seven tunnels, sources said, adding that work on the stretch will be executed on the pattern of four-laning of the highway in Jammu and Udhampur.
Among the bid two tunnels-Chenani-Nashri connecting two districts of Udhampur and Ramban will be nine kilometers long while Jawahar tunnel at Banihal connecting Jammu region with the Kashmir valley will be 8.5 kilometers long.
“With construction of tunnels at vulnerable and landslide prone areas, the problem of blockades would overcome,” sources said.
In the meantime, the Centre had directed the BRO to maintain the highway properly to avoid frequent blockades and heavy jams especially at a time when the tourist season was at its peak and 59-days long Amarnath Ji yatra in South Kashmir Himalayas is scheduled to begin on July 2.
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