Kapran-Desa Road An Old Route, But a Modern-day Mirage

 

"Kapran-Desa Road"

An Old Route, But a Modern-day Mirage

Peerzada Mohsin Shafi

Kapran is a far-flung area located about 18 km from the famous historical Mughal Garden, Verinag, in South Kashmir. The area is blessed with an enormous and beautiful landscape created by nature. There are many villages situated between Verinag and Kapran, each with its own rich history. The road is fully macadamized from the District Headquarters in Anantnag all the way to Kapran, and even beyond. The road starts at Verinag and passes through prominent villages like Kokagund and Nowgam. At Chowgund, it diverges into two roads: one connects villages like Rain, Koot, Heward, and Dudhwagan, while the other connects villages like Qammar. The original road converges again, leading to destinations like Reshipora, Kapran, Gawas, Chohhan, and Dedibal.

The road connectivity is good, and the area has enormous potential for tourism and other renewable resources. Sarbal Lake, located in this region, is a trekker’s paradise, although it is not yet on the tourism map. Dedibal is the last place with a motorable road, resembling the world-famous tourist spot Pahalgam, but remains largely unknown. The surroundings are like a paradise, with lush green forests. On the Doda side, reports suggest that the road is only accessible up to Manjami Desa, requiring a 35 km walk to reach Doda.

At Dedibal, if one opens a map application and searches for Doda, it is surprising to see that the distance from Dedibal to Doda is shown as just 15 minutes. Oral history from locals reveals that this used to be the shortest route from Kashmir to Doda, but it is not a motorable road. Instead, it is a tough terrain where one must cross mountains on foot to reach the Desa area of Doda. In the 1900s, both Jammu & Kashmir and the rest of the country were less advanced, and traditional routes used by nomads were commonly relied upon. Like other mountain routes people of the Kashmir and Chenab valley used to use this route to reach Doda and vice versa. Same was true for other routes like the Pir Panjal range mountains when there were no cart road and Jawahar Tunnel people used to cross the tough mountainous terrain of Banihal pass to reach Banihal from Kashmir and further reach Jammu. Similarly in the Gool area of Ramban people used to cross the tough mountains of Daggan Top, Darsaa Gali and Mouni Top to reach Reasi district of the J&K. There are ample examples of such roads from all over the J&K. 

There is as such nothing special with the Kapran Desa route as the locals have fanaticized that it is a dream project. There are hundreds of examples from the India where foot roads used to exists and locals had put their proposals for the construction of that roads. But they are still not approved by the government. In the Uttarkashi area of Uttarakhand state  For many years, the locals of the Gangotri Valley used an old footpath to connect Mukhba, the winter home of the Gangotri temple priests, to Jangla and beyond and in 2000s, a proposal to extend the motorable road from Mukhba to Jangla was put forward by local authorities to facilitate tourism and pilgrimage. But the proposal was rejected citing environmental concerns and ecosensitivity of the area and till date the route is still pending. The Nimmu–Padum–Darcha Road is another example where people of Zanskar Ladakh traveled mainly on foot or by horse along the Nimmu–Padum–Darcha route to connect with Leh and Manali. In the late 1970s, a proposal to connect Zanskar to Leh and Himachal Pradesh via the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha route was put forward by the Zanskar Buddhists and local Ladakhi residents, aiming to improve accessibility and transport of goods and people. The proposal was delayed for decades. Finally, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) stepped in and began construction, but by this time, alternate routes, such as the Manali–Leh Highway, were prioritized, and the Nimmu–Padum–Darcha route still requiring foot travel. The Stilwell Road a.k.a Ledo Road in the Arunachal Pradesh was an important military supply route used by Allied forces during World War II to connect India to China via Myanmar. After India's independence, the local Arunachal communities proposed upgrading the Stilwell Road into a fully motorable road, arguing that it could improve connectivity with Myanmar and open up economic possibilities for the area. The Indian government did not approve these proposals, citing sensitive border issues, as well as high maintenance costs due to the rugged terrain and seasonal challenges. Instead of revamping Stilwell, the government chose to invest in the Itanagar–Tezpur road network, and other routes like Tawang got more attention for strategic reasons. Koti–Bastara Road in the state of Himachal Pradesh. This old trade route connecting Kullu to Chamba has been used by locals for centuries, as the high-altitude terrain made roads almost impossible to build. People relied on walking to transport goods and move between the valleys. In the early 1990s, local villagers and district authorities put forward a proposal to construct a proper road to improve connectivity and access, as foot traffic was not sustainable for the growing population. The proposal faced significant hurdles due to the high cost of construction and environmental concerns. The government chose to approve a new road through a different alignment via Balu instead of the traditional Koti-Bastara route, leaving the old path still in use by locals for walking. Another example is The Kullu–Manali Old Foot Trai. Before the construction of the Manali-Leh Highway, the old foot trail that ran from Kullu to Manali via Rohtang Pass was used by locals for trading and as a route to cross the mountain range. In the 1980s, locals requested that the government upgrade the footpath into a motorable road for better access to tourism and trade. The proposal was not prioritized due to the challenges posed by the high altitude and harsh weather conditions at Rohtang Pass. Instead, the government chose a different route, further south, to avoid construction difficulties. The new Manali-Leh Highway bypassed the old trail, providing a better and more sustainable route for vehicular traffic. In the 1980s, locals in Spiti Valley and nearby areas put forward a proposal for a road connecting Kaza to Manali, as the footpath was inadequate for transporting goods and people, especially during the harsh winters. The proposal was delayed for several years due to budgetary constrains. The government eventually constructed a road through a different route (via Rohtang Pass and Kunzum Pass).

"These are just a few examples, but one thing is evident: the much-talked-about Kapran-Desa route often referred to as a "dream project" and the only long-pending proposal for decades is more symbolic than practical. Moreover, it is also evident from the already mentioned examples that government has chosen alternate routes to connect the two areas against the proposals of the people. Same is the example for Kapran Desa route which as per the people is the proposed route for connecting the Kashmir valley to the Chenab Valley. But in response to it Government has taken up the alternate route popularly known as NH-244 which spans from Anantnag-Kokernag-Vailoo-Chatroo-Kishtwar-Doda-Chenani for the said purpose. Currently 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, the current distance between Doda and Kishtwar is around 59 km, which will be reduced to 30 km after completing the works, including the Khelani Tunnel, on NH-244. Moreover, the cost of land acquisition coupled with the cost benefit ratio of the projects is also an important aspect. The land acquisition in Kapran Desa route from both Anantnag and Doda side is enormous that government can not take when already billions are being spent on NH-244 which is going to serve the same purpose. As per the MORT&H around ₹ 3.6 Cr are bring spent for single hectare against land acquisition. For Kapran Desa route minimum ₹ 650 Cr will go for the land acquisition alone.

Despite these facts people are not accepting the truth and are in the illusion. During the course of study on the said project I was able to get the copy of unstartted Question No. 4164 posed by Shri Hasnain Masoodi and Shri Jugal Kishore to the MORT&H and same was answered on 18-July-2019. Along with the other few questions it was asked to ministry “ Please mention the present status of various projects i.e. Kapran-Desa-Doda Tunnel, Mugul Road Tunnel, Qazigund-Banihal Tunnel, Pahalgam-Panikhar Road, Kulgam- Gulabgarh Road, Tral- Pahalgam Road and Shari-i-Shali-Tral Road in J&K”. The ministry had clearly replied “Kapran-Desa-Doda Tunnel; Pahalgam-Panikhar Road; Kulgam- Gulabgarh Road; Tral- Pahalgam Road and Shari-i-Shali-Tral Road are neither part of notified NHs nor “In-principle” NHs, hence out of the mandate to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways.” In simple language it means that neither Kapran Desa road is a national highway nor under consideration to become National Highway.

Since more than six years have passed since 2019, I filed multiple RTIs to ascertain the current status of the project. What makes the situation even more interesting is that both NHAI and NHIDCL responded with identical one-line replies, stating that the road in question does not fall under their jurisdiction and that they have not received any proposal for its construction. Furthermore, the Central Public Information Department of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) clearly stated that there is currently no proposal for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this road.

The most talked-about development regarding the Kapran-Desa road was a statement made by the PWD Minister during a session of the UT Assembly, where he claimed that a proposal for the road had been submitted, a statement that quickly went viral. The irony, however lies in the complete absence of any information about when or where this proposal was submitted. Similar claims had also gone viral back in 2016 and on several earlier occasions, yet no tangible progress has ever been made. The then PWD minister during the PDP-BJP reign had also mentioned that Kapran Desa and other projects are still to be approved. Additionally, regarding the approach road, Anantnag-Doru-Verinag Road, the Minister clearly stated that there is no proposal for its upgradation either.

In conclusion, the Kapran–Desa road, though rooted in history and local aspirations, remains far from being a reality. With no official proposal, no DPR, and no recognition under national highway planning, the project exists more in public imagination than in policy. Given the massive investment already underway on the NH-244 route, it is unlikely that the government will divert resources toward a parallel alignment with high land acquisition costs and limited feasibility. Barring a major political upheaval or extraordinary shift in priorities, there is virtually no chance of the Kapran-Desa route being constructed. At present, there is neither the political will nor any concrete indication that the government intends to pursue this project.

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