Has the Vailoo Singhpora Tunnel derailed the prospects of Construction of Kapran Desa Road?

at

 

Has the Vailoo Singhpora Tunnel derailed the prospects of Construction of Kapran Desa Road?

Peerzada Mohsin Shafi 


When I was in high school, my teacher, Mr. Gulzar Hanief, used to say “Roads are the temples of the modern world.” At that time, I did not fully grasp the meaning of this statement. However, as I grew older, I came to understand its significance. Roads are indeed the backbone of a country. In my opinion, roads are pivotal to the development of any area. They are like magical wands that transform the regions they traverse. According to the Year End Review 2023 published by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH) on January 5, 2024, the national highway network has increased by 60%, from 91,287 km in 2014 to 146,145 km in 2023. The government, under MORTH, has launched numerous schemes for constructing both brownfield and greenfield highway projects across the country.

Similarly, in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the government has initiated various projects in recent years. According to official records from the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), road projects worth Rs. 914.15 crore were completed from 2018 to 2022. Infrastructure projects, including tunnels and roads, worth approximately Rs. 14,686 crores are ongoing, with around 70% of the work completed. This means that from 2022 to 2023, NHIDCL has spent approximately Rs. 11,194.15 crore, which is a significant amount. Other agencies under MORTH like NHAI has also invested substantially in infrastructure projects. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is currently constructing various tunnels and viaducts in the Ramban-Banihal stretch of NH-44, worth several crores. This includes the construction of five tunnels from Banihal to Ramban. Additionally, NHAI has recently floated tenders worth Rs. 1500 crore for upgrading the brownfield Khanabal-Aishmuqam-Pahalgam Road in three packages and similarly in Jammu region for constructing the second tube of  Chenani Nashri Tunnel, an amount of Rs 3000 Cr approx is being spent.

The Government of India, under NHIDCL, has undertaken a prestigious project to provide an alternate route between Kishtwar and Anantnag. This project, numbered NH-244, starts from Khanabal, Anantnag, then Kishtwar (Chatroo) and ends in Chenani, Udhampur. Currently, NHIDCL has spent around Rs. 24.49 crore for upgrading and strengthening the road from Anantnag to Vailoo, Kokernag. Furthermore, tenders worth approximately Rs. 4500 crores have been awarded to construction companies for upgrading NH-244, including the Khelani Tunnel and seven road packages. The Vailoo Singhpora Tunnel, approximately 10.3 km long, and the Sudhmahadev Dranga Tunnel between Chenani and Udhampur, which was recently cancelled and will be retendered, are also part of this project. The cost of these two projects is around Rs. 5851 crores. In short, the total approximate cost of connecting the Kashmir Valley with Kishtwar is around Rs. 10,375 crores, which is a substantial amount.

The main project in this entire stretch is the construction of the Vailoo Singhpora Tunnel, as it is the primary link between the two districts. The proposal for this tunnel emerged as early as 2010, initially to be executed in the Public-Private-Partnership mode with J&K Bank as the funding agency. After many years of dormancy, the project gained momentum from 2018 to 2022, and ultimately, the DPR was prepared and tender for its construction were floated in 2022. Before the proposal to connect the Kashmir Valley with the Chenab Valley through the Vailoo Singhpora Tunnel, various governments had promised to connect the two regions via the Kapran Desa Road. This initiative began in 1958 during Bakshi Ghulam Mohammad's government. The demand for this road gained momentum in 1966 when the people of Doda launched an agitation for its construction. In 1978, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah also pledged to take up the project. In 2009, it was decided that the two regions would be connected via a tunnel approximately 7 km long, starting from Kapran (Anantnag) and ending in Desa (Doda). In 2016, Member of Parliament and former Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad requested the Centre to declare the Doda-Dessa-Kapran Road a national highway. During the previous PDP-BJP coalition government, then Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and later Mehbooba Mufti directed the J&K PWD R&B Department to prepare the DPR, but no progress has been made.

Recently between 2022-23, local NGO’s and various political and non-political organizations met with former Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, and the Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, to discuss the construction of the proposed road. They received encouraging responses, similar to those from previous governments. However, according to the popular opinion, a major obstacle is the lengthy process of converting the existing Anantnag-Doru-Verinag District Road and similar Doda counterpart into a national highway. Additionally, the compensation the government would need to pay to the locals presents another significant challenge. Further the distance between Anantnag and Kapran is approximately 30 km, and the current road is only a single lane. Beyond the cost of road construction, the compensation required for residents along the route is prohibitively high, making the project seem impractical. Condition from Doda side is worse. In India, land acquisition is one of the primary hindrances to road projects. A case in point is the stretch from Janglatmandi to Brakpora on the newly constructed NH-244. Although this distance is just 3 km, the government abandoned the widening of this section due to the high compensation costs, opting instead for a greenfield road connecting the area via a new Qazigund-Alstop-Dialgam-Brakpora route. It is not Government can not compensate but as per the MORTH guidelines the ROW for brownfield 4 Lane Highway shall be around 70 m and the present carriageway of Anantnag Doru Verinag Road is just 15 m on an average. So cost of compensation and rehabilitation in this case is pretty much difficult. If the government could not compensate for a 3 km stretch, it seems implausible that it could manage compensation for the 30 km from Anantnag to Kapran from Kashmir side and similar compensation on Doda side. As per the information gathered from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), the average cost of land acquisition was about Rs. 80.00 Lakh per Hectare before 01.01. 2015, which has now gone up to about Rs. 3.60 crore per Hectare.

Furthermore, as already discussed, the government is spending around Rs. 10,375 crores to connect the Kashmir Valley with the Chenab Valley via the NH-244 route. It seems unlikely that the government would invest a huge amount in the Kapran Desa route. Moreover, decades ago, the technology was not advanced enough, and people believed that the only feasible way to connect the valley with Chenab was via the Kapran Desa Route. Historical reports indicate that ancestors from both regions used the Desa Mountainous route to reach Kashmir. However, with the advent of modern technology and other reasons, the government has opted for the Kokernag Kishtwar Route to connect the two regions. People and local politicians need to accept this reality, and politicians should clarify this to the public. Once the rehabilitation and strengthening of NH244 are completed in the coming years, it will take people from Doda only about 25 minutes to reach Kishtwar, from where they can easily travel to Kashmir. Thus, the demand for the Kapran Desa Road will likely fade away.

In conclusion, the government has chosen the Vailoo Singhpora route to connect the Valley to Kishtwar, and currently, there are no plans to connect the two regions via the Kapran Desa route. The future of this project lies in the hands of the government, but as of now, the Kapran Desa route remains a distant dream.

 Date 22.05.2024 (14:54 Ramban).

 

 

 


Popular posts from this blog

Deadlock Ends on Singhpora Vailoo Tunnel Project

at
Image
  Deadlock Ends on Singhpora Vailoo Tunnel Project Peerzada Mohsin Shafi With the inauguration of the Z Morh Tunnel in Sonamarg today, a new era of infrastructure development has begun. This long-awaited project which commenced in 2015, has now reached its significant milestone opening its doors to traffic. The event was graced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Cabinet Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister of J&K, Chairman NHIDCL and other distinguished guests   During the ceremony, several dignitaries shared their perspectives on the ongoing and future development projects in Jammu and Kashmir. Chief Minister UT of J&K, Omar Abdullah began by honoring the victims of a terrorist attack near the Z-Morh Tunnel project site last year, paying tribute to their sacrifices. P.M Narendra Modi underscored the significance of infrastructure projects in the region's development. He highlighte...
More

The 90-Hour Workweek Hype: What’s Being Suggested vs. What Construction Professionals Endure?

at
Image
  The 90-Hour Workweek Hype: What’s Being Suggested vs. What Construction Professionals Endure? Peerzada Mohsin Shafi M.Tech IDM (Hon's) Contracts & Planning In recent times, the topic of long working hours has been a subject of considerable debate in India. The latest headlines feature statements from high-profile figures like Infosys CEO and L&T Chairman. Infosys’s CEO earlier suggested that employees in the tech industry should work up to 70 hours a week, while the Chairman of L&T went a step further, proposing a 90-hour workweek. These comments have ignited a storm of criticism, with many arguing that such expectations are unreasonable and even exploitative. The Hype and Criticism The idea of a 90-hour workweek has sparked a great deal of controversy. Critics argue that it is an unrealistic and harmful demand, particularly in a country where labor laws are designed to protect workers from excessive working hours. In India, the Factories Act, the Shops and Establishm...
More

From Gridlock to Glide: Proposed Flyover for Anantnag’s Traffic Woes

at
Image
  From Gridlock to Glide: Proposed Flyover for Anantnag’s Traffic Woes Peerzada Mohsin Shafi M.Tech Infrastructure Development and Management Hon’s, Researcher, Member ASCE, Contracts and Planning Professional Anantnag, one of the oldest and most historically rich districts in the Kashmir Valley has been a pivotal part of the region’s heritage and development. Once encompassing the entirety of South Kashmir, the district was divided into Anantnag and Pulwama in 1979 followed by the creation of Kulgam and Shopian in 2007. Despite the restructuring, Anantnag remains a key district, strategically positioned as a link to the rest of the valley. It shares its boundaries with several important districts like Ramban, Kishtwar, Doda, Pulwama and Kulgam.  Anantnag is not just geographically significant, but also demographically crucial. As per the 2011 Census, the district has a population of approximately 10.79 lakh, spread across 387 inhabited and seven uninhabited villages. The dist...
More