Jammu Udhampur NH to have 4 Tunnels

The widened Jammu-Udhampur National Highway will have four tunnels as the executing agency has given new alignment to the road in Nandni area for avoiding disturbance to wildlife there.

Work has begun on three out of these four tunnels having combined length of more than 1.4 kilometers beneath the Nandni Wildlife area.

Though belated, work has been started on T1, T3 and T4 tunnels where three Road Headers (Diamond Cutter machines) along with other required men and machinery have been pressed into service for the excavation since mining for the digging purpose is prohibited in the area.

This was disclosed to the Excelsior by R P Singh, Project Director National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), Jammu.

While elaborating, he said that among all the tunnels, T4 has the maximum length of 540 meters followed by T3 (330 meters), T2 (300 meters) and T1 (210 meters). “Excavation on T1, T3 and T4 is going on full pace with completion of around 15 percent job while work on T2 will be taken up very soon after construction of approaching road to the tunnel,” Mr Singh added.

Though commencement of work on these tunnels could not be taken up earlier due to delay in clearance by the Wildlife Protection Board, the executing agency NHAI is confident of completing the Jammu-Udhampur Road widening project by June 2014, the deadline fixed.

More than 55 percent work on this Rs 1814 crore Jammu-Udhampur Road widening project has been finished while a number of bridges and viaduct have also been completed, R P Singh informed.

The widened Jammu-Udhampur road will have 33 major and 21 small bridges, including 11 viaducts. Among these, five viaducts, ten small bridges and 22 larges bridges have so far been completed while work on a few others is also going on.

The widening of Jammu-Udhampur National Highway will shorten the total distance by road as well as the time taken to complete the journey. The number of bridges and viaducts are being constructed to avoid frequent crests and troughs on the highway while the upcoming four tunnels will keep the Wildlife Sanctuary in Nandni area untouched. These tunnels will cover more than 2.2 kilometer straight area of the Nandni Wildlife Sanctuary and further shorter the total distance of Jammu-Udhampur road.

Pertinent to mention here that widening of Jammu-Udhampur road is part of the National Highway Authority of India’s flagship project of four-laning Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. The NHAI has divided the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway four-laning project into six sub-projects, which include widening of Srinagar-Banihal road (67.7 kms), Qazigund-Banihal road (15.25 kms), Banihal-Ramban road (36 kms), Ramban-Udhampur road (43 kms), construction of Chenani-Nashri tunnel (12 kms) and widening of Jammu-Udhampur road (65 kms). Deadline fixed for completion of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway four-laning project is May 2016.

Started in 2011, Rs 1814 crore Jammu-Udhampur road widening project has been allotted to IFCON and hundreds of workers as well as machines have been engaged for round the clock work to ensure timely completion of the road widening.

Though a few hurdles in the recent past over acquisition of some portions of private land at Jhajjar Kotli, Jakheni and Thangial to the NHAI as well as objections of the Wildlife Protection Board delayed the ongoing work, the NHAI is confident of meeting the deadline of June 2014.

Hundreds of vehicles leave for Srinagar from Jammu

Hundreds of vehicles, including those carrying essentials for the Kashmir valley, left Jammu this morning as authorities allowed only one-way traffic on the highway, connecting the Places to Visit in Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country.

The one-way traffic on the highway has been continuing since the past two weeks after heavy snowfall triggered landslides and shooting stones, killing 11 people, including four members of a family.

A traffic police spokesman said here today that hundreds of vehicles, including trucks loaded with essentials and passengers, left Jammu and Udhampur this morning for Kashmir.

He said no vehicle was allowed from Srinagar or any other part of the Valley.

This has been decided as a precautionary measure to avoid traffic jam on the highway. Two way traffic will be allowed after receiving green signal from the BRO, traffic and police officials posted at different places on the highway.

The highway remained closed for most period of January and February due to snowfall, avalanches and slippery road condition, resulting in shortage of essentials, particularly cooking gas.

Majority of meat and chicken shops remained closed. However, in

some areas, the butchers and those selling chicken were seen selling their products on higher rates against the government approved rates.

Ladakh region remained cut off from the rest of the state since December 1 last year when Zojila pass was closed for six winter months due to snowfall. The Centre and state government have approved to construct a tunnel at Zojila to make it an all weather road.

Dozens of far-flung and remote villages, including those near the Line of Control (LoC) also remained cut off from their respective district headquarters due to closure of the Sadhna and Razdan passes in north Kashmir.

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Chaos at Jammu Bus Stand

.The General Bus Stand in the winter capital is yet again witnessing a chaotic scene with hassled stranded passengers from various parts of the valley, Doda and Poonch districts hanging around for a clue about the opening of National Highway.

The distraught lot, already suffering on account of vagaries of weather, rues lack of facilities at General Bus Stand where they’re stuck up for a couple of days following the closure of National Highway.

The Jammu Srinagar National Highway is closed for the last three days due to continuous rains and heavy snowfall. As a consequence, the entire General Bus Stand is full of stranded passengers. However the basic facilities, as usual, are elusive, notwithstanding the claims of the government vis-à-vis adequate boarding and lodging arrangements besides food facility for the stranded lot.

“We’ve been stranded here for the last three days but no one from the government has bothered to know about our miserable condition. Many children and old passengers have fallen ill due to severe cold and unhygienic conditions. But, there is no arrangement made by the government to provide us treatment, especially for the children and the old and infirm lot,” complained Mohammed Sadiq from Doda, who is there with his family of six.

Meanwhile, Fayaz Ahmed, a resident of Srinagar, says, “Among the stranded passengers, most of the passengers are poor and unable to bear the expensive rents being charged by the hotels and lodges. It is the duty of the administration to provide at least food and shelter to the poor passengers who are running short of money. The government should provide us free of cost air facility to take us to our desired destinations.”

Talking to JK News another passenger hailing from Valley, Mohammed Mushtaq Dar says, “Every year thousands of passengers get stranded at Bus Stand at Jammu following the closure of National Highway due to heavy snowfall. This is an annual phenomenon but the government fails to provide any facilities to these stranded passengers. It is duty of the government to construct a hall especially for the stranded passengers so that they can save protect from such frosty nights.”

Few days ago, the stranded passengers at General Bus Stand had held a protest demonstration against the administration for its failure to provide facilities to passengers. 

Highway cleared but mismanaged

Mismanagement of traffic and BEACON authorities marred the smooth flow of vehicular traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, today despite the fact that majority of stranded passengers were dispatched to their respective destinations.

Reports from Banihal said that mismanagement of traffic and BEACON authorities affected the flow of vehicular traffic on Jammu-Srinagar National Highway today. Our correspondent who trekked down from Verinag to Banihal reported that the highway was almost clear and there were no slippery conditions as the snow was completely removed from the road. Despite clearance of the highway, traffic was not allowed to move smoothly by both Traffic and BEACON authorities.

The traffic authorities haphazardly took decision to resume traffic from both ends of the highway which created mess on the highway. The authorities in the morning flashed a message that the vehicles which will cross Qazigund in the morning would be allowed to proceed towards Jammu. This created confusion among the vehicle operators and later the truckers who crossed Qazigund at 6 AM were also not allowed to move towards Jammu from Jawahar Tunnel, till noon.

The authorities, however, claimed that 1500 vehicles crossed the tunnel towards the valley and 1000 towards Jammu.

The administration claimed to have heaved a sigh a relief when the passengers, who had been stranded for the last few days due to closure of national highway after heavy snowfall, were being dispatched to their respective destinations.

The stranded passengers were sent early in the morning from 4 AM to 7:30 AM in around 200 private passenger vehicles, majority of them light vehicles.

The scenario which had turned quite chaotic over the last few days, particularly at General Bus Stand owing to stagnation of the passengers, was to a large extent normal today.

However, quite a few valley bound as well as enroute passengers were still at the Bus Stand. 

On contacting most of the passengers revealed, “Although the vehicles were available for us but we stayed back on our own due to one reason or the other.”

When contacted, SSP Traffic told Kashmir Times, “The pressure has been released as all the stranded passengers have been cleared. If there are some still remaining, they will be cleared tomorrow subject to weather conditions.”

Along with passengers, valley bound vehicles with essential commodities have also been cleared. 25-30 oil and gas tankers have been cleared in this respect.”

Confusion continues on Srinagar Jammu Highway

The unannounced closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway by the authorities today caused severe inconvenience to the passengers and the drivers as they were not allowed to move beyond Khanabal or Qazigund.However, official sources said that the lack of communication between the traffic officials of Jammu and the Srinagar created chaos.

The road was closed last Thursday following the heavy snowfall in the Valley and many other places along the highway.The officials had yesterday claimed that the road was thrown open for one way traffic and announced that the traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu today.

Despite the official announcement the authorities today did not allow any of the vehicles to move towards Jammu thus causing lot of inconvenience to the passengers and the drivers.

Hundreds of passengers were taken by surprise when the traffic officials stopped the vehicles they were traveling in at different places and did not allow them to move ahead.Dozens of traffic police personnel were seen forcibly putting at halt all the Jammu bound passenger and the heavy vehicles near Dak Bangalow Khanabal which led to the long traffic jamming on the highway. Many drivers alleged that the traffic officials deflated their tiers and even beat them after they resisted and tried to move ahead.

“Following the announcement of the traffic authorities that the traffic will be allowed to move from Srinagar to Jammu today I left for Jammu early this morning today. However, on reaching Khanabal, I was stopped by the traffic cops who asked me to go back saying that the road was closed. When I objected and asked them why did they make the announcement, they beat me up and even tried to deflate the tyres of my car,” said Mohammad Ashraf from Pulwama.

Another driver, Shabir Ahmad, who was stopped by the officials near Qazigund said that the authorities are making false claims about the opening of the road only to make the passengers bear the brunt.“If the authorities have not been able to clear the road then they should not make false announcements which only cause inconvenience to the passengers,” he said.

A traffic official wishing anonymity said that there is lack of communication between traffic officials of Srinagar and Jammu which resulted in the mess and the passengers have to bear the brunt.“Last evening it was decided that the traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed to ply only but the traffic authorities allowed the traffic from the other side also despite knowing that the road was not safe for the two way traffic. The two way traffic on the road led to chaos,” the traffic official said.

Deputy SP, (Rural) Traffic, G M Bhat said that he was directed from his higher ups to stop the all the Jammu bound traffic near Khanabal. “As per the official announcement the traffic was from Srinagar to Jammu. But I was directed not allow any Jammu bound vehicle to move beyond Khanabal and I obeyed the orders. Rest I do not know,” Bhat said.

NH reopens for 1 way traffic

After remaining shut for three running days due to the heavy snowfall in the valley the Srinagar-Jammu national highway linking Kashmir with rest of the country was thrown open for one way traffic later afternoon today. The road was closed by the authorities Thursday evening after the heavy snowfall in Jawahar tunnel and other places along the highway.

Chief engineer Beacon, Brigadier, TPS Rawat, addressing a press conference at Jawahar Tunnel today said that they have cleared the road of snow all along and has been thrown open for one way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar.

“We put up all our efforts by pressing into service both our men and the machines to restore traffic on the road. The road had been cleared of snow only yesterday but the shooting stones at Panithal, Sherbibi and Ramsoo had caused damage to a big patch which took us the whole night to repair,” Rawat said.

He said that the road is now clear and has been restored for one way traffic from Jammu to Srinagar this afternoon.

Deputy Inspector General, Traffic, Vijay Kumar, said that after receiving green signal from the Beacon authorities the traffic was restored on the road.

“We not only cleared the Srinagar bound vehicles which had got stranded on the road but allowed the fresh traffic from Jammu. At least 200 vehicles including the supply vehicles have crossed the Jawahar tunnel so far,” DIG said.

He said that if weather remains normal the traffic from Srinagar to Jammu will be allowed tomorrow.

However he ruled out any possibility of the restoration of two way traffic on the road until the Beacon gives the signal for the same.