Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Jan 13: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the strategic Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal’s Sonamarg area on Monday, said Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of restoring its glory of “Dharti par Swarg” (Heaven on the Earth) but remained non-committal on the timeline to restore Statehood to the union territory.
In response to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s speech, where he referred to the demand of Statehood, Mr Modi remained silent on divulging any timeline but hinted the issue was very much on his mind. “When Modi makes a promise, he fulfils it. Every thing has its right time. Right things will take place at the right time,” Mr Modi said.
With snow-capped mountains in the backdrop and freezing weather conditions, Mr Modi inaugurated the state-of-art 6.5-kilometer-long tunnel built at a cost of ₹2,700 crore. The tunnel has made tourist hotspot Sonamarg a round-the-year destination in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district. Mr Modi said the new network of road and railway lines in the Union Territory (UT) has “already ended Dilli ki Doori” [distance between J&K and Delhi].
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari, Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah were among those present at the inauguration. The two-lane bi-directional road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg in Ganderbal district in central Kashmir has been built at a cost of over Rs 2,700 crore. It is equipped with a parallel 7.5-metre-wide escape passage for emergencies.
Situated at an altitude of over 8,650 feet above sea level, the tunnel will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg en route to Leh, bypassing landslide and avalanche routes.
Referring to the militant attack of October 20, 2024 that left seven workers dead at the construction site, Mr Modi said, “I salute the dedication of workers who braved harsh weather conditions and even risked their lives to complete this project. Seven workers also laid down their lives but the incident did not deter us from our pledge. No worker returned home.”
Mr Modi said the Z-Morh tunnel and the upcoming Zojila tunnel, connecting Kashmir with Ladakh, will ease the lives of Kargil and Leh people too. “During snowfall, avalanches and landslides, the road would get closed, hospitals cut-off and essentials difficult to access. However, life will become easy now for locals living here. We started work on the tunnel in 2015 and it’s satisfying to inaugurate it. The tunnel will give new wings to tourism in Sonamarg, which has already seen a quantum jump in tourist footfall,” the PM said.
Describing J&K as a destination with the “distinction of having highest rail and road bridges and rope ways,” PM Modi said, “The engineering of the Chenab bridge has amazed people across the world. Passenger train trials were completed last week on the bridge. The projects of the Chenani-Nashri tunnel, the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway link and the rope ways at the Shankaracharya temple, Shiv Khori temple and Baltal-Amarnath shrine are underway. A ₹42,000-crore connectivity projects are executed in J&K, which include the Katra-Delhi expressway, four national highway projects, two ring roads and 14 Sonamarg-like tunnels. J&K will be the most connected region. Tourists can now even reach untouched destinations.”
“Leaving behind the difficult days, our Kashmir is once again regaining its identity as the ‘Dharti Ka Swarg’ (Heaven on Earth). Today, people are going to Lal Chowk in the evening to have ice cream. Even at night, there is a vibrant atmosphere. The artists in Kashmir have transformed the Polo View Market into a new habitat centre. I see on social media how the musicians, artists, and singers here constantly perform there,” he said.
“The Chief Minister (Omar Abdullah) also participated in a marathon and its video also went viral. I had especially congratulated him when I met him in Delhi. This is a new era of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
“Today, from Jammu and Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh, you are seeing how many roads, tunnels and bridges are being built. Our Jammu and Kashmir is now becoming a hub of tunnels and high-rise buildings. The world’s tallest tunnel, the world’s tallest railroad bridge, and the world’s tallest railways are being built here. In the year 2024, more than two crore tourists had visited Jammu and Kashmir,” the PM said.
Referring to the upgraded connectivity, PM Modi said Viksit Bharat is only possible when all the regions of the country are well developed. “J&K is the crown of the country and has to be beautiful and strong. I assure you Modi will walk the talk. Any hurdle in your dreams will be removed. ‘Dili ki Doori’ is already over now. We have to work together to fulfil dreams and have to take pledges together,” he added.
He praised people for contributing to a peaceful Kashmir and “leaving behind the troubled past”. “I congratulate you [people] for strengthening democracy and securing the future, especially of Kashmiri youth. Kashmir is witnessing a new era with hosting of an international marathon, car racing events, winter games and people going out for late-night shopping after forty years. When I met CM Abdullah, he was excited and enthused by the marathon, where he also participated in Srinagar,” he added.
Earlier, Mr Abdullah, in his speech made a case for fulfilling the promise of restoration of Statehood to J&K. “On his previous visit to Kashmir on International Yoga Day, PM talked about three promises, which included eliminating the ‘Dil ki doori aur Dilli Ki doori [Distance of hearts and distance between Delhi-Srinagar]. People have started trusting you. You [PM Modi] have already fulfilled the promise of holding Assembly elections [in J&K], where no rigging or misuse of official machinery was reported. The credit for this goes to you [PM Modi], your colleagues and the Election Commission of India. However, the third promise of Statehood is yet to be fulfilled. People keep asking me about it, I assure them this promise too will be fulfilled soon where J&K will again be a State in the country,” Mr Abdullah said.
CM Abdullah recounted the sacrifices made by thousands of people, including his party workers, for democracy and progress of the country. “Prime Minister Sahib, your presence here today at the inauguration program of this tunnel is a testimony to the fact that those people who carry out these attacks, those who don’t want the betterment of this country, those who don’t want to see peace and progress in J&K, can never succeed. They will always have to face defeat here. We will always defeat them and send them back from here,” Mr Abdullah said.
Mr Gadkari said the Z-Morh tunnel has ended the region’s isolation as the road would remain closed for five to six months. “The new roadways projects in J&K, coming up at the cost of around ₹50,000 crores, will end ‘Dili ki Doori’. Soon, Srinagar will be an eight-hour drive from Delhi,” he said.
The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), which oversees the project, has said the “engineering marvel” is a game changer for the region. Built at a cost of ₹2,400 crore on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway, the strategic Z-Morh tunnel will be a major step towards making the Ladakh region accessible by road throughout the year. The work on the project began in May 2015 and was completed last year.
The Z-Morh tunnel is vital in terms of the defence needs of the country in the Ladakh region and also connecting the youngest Union Territory to the rest of the country and will enhance all-weather connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg en route to Leh,
Along with the under-construction Zojila tunnel, the Z-Morh tunnel will ensure uninterrupted connectivity to Baltal and Ladakh regions for civilian and military traffic. The tunnel is equipped with cutting-edge technologies that provide real-time updates and seamless connectivity for users. This futuristic infrastructure will not only enhance the travel experience but also set a new standard for road connectivity in the region.
The tunnel has reduced travel time between Srinagar and Sonamarg allowing vehicles to travel at speeds of up to 70 kilometre per hour compared to the earlier 30 kilometre per hour on the winding roads. The tunnel has a capacity of handling 1000 vehicles per hour. The tunnel will be key to keeping the tourist destination of Sonamarg open for visitors around the year. Earlier, snowfall and avalanches would cut off the tourist spot every winter.
The Z-Morh tunnel will promote tourism by transforming Sonamarg into a year-round destination, boosting winter tourism, adventure sports, and local livelihoods.
The work on the Z-Morh tunnel began in May 2015. It took almost a decade to complete the works as the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), the initial concessionaire for executing the project, stopped work in 2018 due to financial stress. The project was retendered in 2019 and awarded to APCO Infratech in January 2020, which had emerged as the lowest bidder.
The foundation stone for the ₹2,716.90 crore project was laid in October 2012 by C P Joshi, then Minister for Surface Transport during the UPA II government, in the presence of his then cabinet colleague Farooq Abdullah, then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi. The tunnel was initially expected to be completed by 2016-2017.