Advantage India : All weather access to J&K

[ramu]

Shinkula tunnel to reduce Leh distance by 100 km

Construction of the Rohtang tunnel is just the beginning of long-term plans of the Defence Ministry to have all-weather connectivity to the border areas as it is the boring of another 4-km-long tunnel under the Shinkula Pass, which will provide unhindered access on the Manali-Leh road.

The construction of another tunnel under the 15,920-ft Shinkula Pass will enable bypassing of the four lofty mountain passes of Baralacha La, Thaglang La, Nakila and Lachung La to make Manali-Leh an all-weather road. This will also reduce the distance on this tactical road by almost 100 km, making it the shortest route for carrying defence supplies to the border areas beyond Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.

“We are undertaking a feasibility study for construction of a tunnel at the Shinkula Pass which will help us bypass the higher areas which have heavy snow and thereby reduce the distance to Leh by 100 km,” said PK Mahajan, chief engineer, Project Rohtang. It was on the proposal of the Border Road Organisation (BRO) that the Defence Ministry gave go ahead to undertake feasibility studies for the construction of the tunnel.

The realigned highway will pass through much lower altitude from Darcha to Padam via Shinkula.

The fact that the government is willing to spend a huge amount of Rs 1,458 crore on the 8.9-km-long Rohtang tunnel only heightens the strategic importance of the 470 km Manali-Leh road. In fact this route came in very handy for movement of supplies for the forces deployed in the border areas at the time of Kargil conflict as the road through Jammu and Kashmir came under the firing range of the Pakistani forces, making movement a very risky and difficult task.

Sources confirmed that following the Kargil conflict, India was keen to have a safe passage to its border areas with its neighbours like Pakistan. Even though the Rohtang tunnel was conceived way back in 1983 as an alternate route for strategic considerations, it was only in September last year that that the Cabinet sub-committee on Security cleared the Rohtang tunnel project.

A preliminary study for the project was conducted in 1984 in consultation with Geological Survey of India (GSI) and Manali-based Snow Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE). The detailed feasibility study of the tunnel was finally approved in January 1987.

The construction of the Rohtang tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and Koksar in Lahaul by 46 km and travelling time by two hours. It is bound to open up vistas of trade and tourism and ample employment opportunities for almost 35,000 population of Lahaul-Spiti.

 

[ramu]

Rohtang Tunnel work begins

The drilling of a tunnel through the Himalayan ranges began here on Monday to facilitate laying out of an alternative all-weather road route to strategically important areas of Ladakh and providing a year-long connectivity to the remote Lahaul-Spiti valley.

UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, in her capacity as the National Advisory Council chief, declared open the tunnel drilling at South Portal, 30 km north of here, in the presence of Defence Minister A K Antony, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister P K Dhumal and Union Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh.

Gandhi unveiled a plaque signalling the inauguration of the drilling. Priests belonging to several religions chanted hymns before the inauguration.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, scheduled to attend the function, was not present.

Conceived way back in 1983, the two-lane tunnel for vehicle movement will help travellers avoid the Rohtang Pass, about 51 km from here, all year round.

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Rohtang Tunnel work begins

 

[SpArK]

It is bound to open up vistas of trade and tourism and ample employment opportunities for almost 35,000 population of Lahaul-Spiti.

the best part of the news!

 

[ramu]

Tunnel to breathe life into the dead

Rohtang, meaning “heap of dead bodies” in Persian, aptly portrays the ruthless and rugged living conditions that the people of this area have learnt to live with. But a dream conceived by Rajiv Gandhi 27 years ago will start a change for the better when UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on Monday lays the foundation stone of the world’s longest high altitude Rohtang tunnel near here.

It will provide smooth two-way movement for vehicles upto a maximum speed of 80 km per hour. “The tunnel will provide movement for 3,000 vehicles to and fro daily with provision for semi-transverse ventilation system,” said PK Mahajan, Chief Engineer of Project Rohtang. All conditions inside the tunnel -- including light, pollution and fire hydrants -- will be monitored automatically from outside with closed circuit cameras all along providing a minute-to-minute inside picture.

Fresh air will be pushed into the tunnel while the exhausted gases will be pumped out to keep conditions under control. “In case of a fire hazard, it will be controlled within 90 seconds and would not be allowed to spread beyond 200 metres, ensuring complete safety with the use of system of dampers,” explained Mahajan.

The dream project to be built by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) at a cost of Rs 1,495 crore is likely to be completed by 2015. Strategically, it will be an important milestone enabling an all-weather road link across the captivating Rohtang Pass (13,044 feet) to Leh and the border areas for carriage of defence supplies.

Construction of the 8.8-km Rohtnag Tunnel, an engineering marvel, will open up the state’s remotest but most pristine tribal areas of Lahaul-Spiti to tourism and other socio-economic activities, which otherwise remain snowbound for six months, virtually snapping all road links to the region.

For the 35,000-odd population of Lahaul, Spiti and Pangi, the tunnel would reduce travelling distance by 46 km and time by two hours. For many residents of Jammu and Kashmir, especially Leh area, this could be the shortest road link to other parts of the country. However, to make this a reality, the BRO proposes another tunnel at Shinkula Pass (15,920 feet) that will reduce the 470 km journey between Manali-Leh by 100 km.

“Local residents are very enthused about the tunnel and are already planning in advance to ensure that they are able to reap the dividends of the development landmark the moment it is complete,” said Ritesh Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner of Lahaul-Spiti. He says the local people will benefit from the oasis resorts that are likely to come up along the entire route where highway tourism is bound to boom.



The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Main News

IMO, due credit should be given to former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee for his support to the project. The congress and the media conveniently forgets this on occasions.

 

[ramu]

Himalayan Feat

The construction of Rohtang Tunnel begins on June 28. Once completed, it will provide an all-weather route to Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh, besides reducing the distance by 48 km, and saving travel time by nearly four hours.

It has taken 27 years from the inception of the idea to laying the first stone. Conceived as far back as 1983 by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, construction of the much-hyped Rohtang tunnel in Himachal Pradesh is finally scheduled to commence on June 28 when UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi lays it foundation.

The tunnel construction project received an impetus after the Kargil conflict. It will provide an all-weather alternate route to Ladakh through Himachal Pradesh via Manali and, of course, the famous Rohtang Pass, after which it takes its name. At present, the main route to this region is NH 1-A that reaches Jammu Kashmir from Punjab and passes through Srinagar, Sonmarg and Kargil up to Leh.

Located at an altitude of more than 13,000 feet in the Pir Panjal range, 51 km from Manali, Rohtang Pass remains snowbound in winters for nearly six months, cutting off the tribal Lahaul-Spiti Valley in Himachal as well as the strategically vital Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

The terrain and climate of the area pose serious problems in maintaining road communication for more than four months at a stretch. The area faces heavy snowfall, high-velocity winds and sub-zero temperatures.

Rohtang Tunnel will check the vagaries of nature that deny movement of men and machines during most part of the year. It is the most challenging task that the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) will undertake in its 50 years of existence. A laboratory of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Snow and Research Studies Establishment (SASE), has been carrying out preliminary investigations and feasibility studies. The DRDO laboratory specialises in studies of snow physics, cold weather engineering and allied subjects.

Rohtang Pass is open to vehicular traffic only during summers

BRO men at work on the approach road to the Rohtang Tunnel portal. Photos courtesy: Ministry of Defence

At 8.8 km and an elevation of about 10,000 feet, the Rohtang Tunnel would neither be the longest nor the highest in India or the world. Gotthard Base Railway Tunnel, nearing completion in the Alps Mountains of Switzerland, is 57 km long. Fenghuoshan Railway Tunnel, part of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway line in China, touches 16,000 feet.

What, then, makes Rohtang Tunnel unique as an engineering marvel is its main characteristic, which is a combination of both its length and altitude. According to the Ministry of Defence, when Rohtang Tunnel is completed in 2015, it would be the world’s longest tunnel at that altitude. In fact, it would be much longer than the longest tunnels anywhere around the world at altitudes over 7,500 feet.

The nearest in comparison to Rohtang Tunnel will be Anzob Road Tunnel in Tajikistan (5-km-long at 10,100 feet), Khojak Rail Tunnel, built by the British way back in 1891, near Quetta, in Pakistan (3.9 km at 11,700 feet) and Eisenhower Memorial Tunnel in the US (2.7 km, at 10,200 feet).

Interestingly, Rohtang Tunnel will not have the distinction of being the longest rail or road tunnel in India. This honour will go to the 11-km-long Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel at Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir, part of the Jammu-Srinagar railway line, which is due to be completed next year.

As of now, the longest tunnel in the country is the 6.5-km-long Karbude Tunnel in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, forming part of the Konkan Railway network.

Rohtang Tunnel was first conceived in 1983 so as to develop the Manali-Sarchu-Leh road as an all-weather alternate route for strategic considerations. A preliminary study was conducted in 1984 in consultation with the Geological Survey of India and the SASE.

The detailed feasibility study for the ambitious Rohtang Tunnel was approved at a meeting of the Border Roads Development Board on January 14, 1987, which was presided over by Rajiv Gandhi himself. It was planned that an access road leading to the actual tunnel site would be constructed first.

On May 26, 2002, former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid foundation stone for the access road, costing Rs 180 crore. The access road to the south portal tunnel site, on which as many as 18 avalanche protection structures are being erected, was completed in 2005.

The Cabinet Committee on Security cleared the tunnel project in September 2009 at a cost of Rs 1,495 crore. Strabag-Afcons, a joint venture between India’s Afcons Infrastructure Ltd and Strabag SE of Austria, the world’s fourth largest construction company, was awarded the construction contract through a global tender.

At present, the preparatory work and induction of resources are under progress. The actual tunnelling work is expected to be completed by 2015. An international firm SMEC International has been engaged as consultants by the BRO for the Rohtang project.

The tunnel’s design, according to the Defence Ministry, will be novel in many ways. Due to its long distance and rarefied atmosphere at the heights it will be located, the tunnel will incorporate Semi-Transverse Ventilation System, where large fans would separately circulate air in and out throughout the length of the tunnel. The tunnel, with a horseshoe shaped cross-section, will be 11.25 m wide at road-level, providing ample room for two-way traffic and would cater to a maximum vehicular speed of 80 km/hr.

But the tunnel alone might not be enough to make the Manali-Keylong-Leh highway an all-weather road, as there are another two major snowbound passes along the way, Baralacha La and Tanglang La. To overcome this, the project envisages constructing a 292-km-long all-weather road, Nimu-Padam-Darcha, via Shinkun la, traversing the remote Zanskar region of J&K, estimated to cost an additional Rs 286 crore.

Once completed, Rohtang Tunnel will provide unhindered road access to the remote regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh throughout the year, besides reducing the distance by 48 km, and saving the travel time by nearly four hours. It will open up new vistas of trade and tourism and generate jobs for the local population.

 

[ramu]

India to connect valley by train route
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[ramu]

Chug to Kashmir through India’s longest tunnel

Jammu and Kashmir is bracing for a rare feat: the opening of the country’s longest railway tunnel that will realise the century-old dream of connecting the Valley with the rest of India by train.

Eight kilometres of the 11km tunnel have been completed, and it is set to be opened for traffic by December next year. The tunnel will run from Qazigund in the Valley to Banihal in Jammu, boring through the mighty Pir Panjal mountains.

It will be Asia’s second-largest tunnel, behind only the 20km Wushaoling tunnel in Gansu, northwest China, easily beating India’s current longest, the 6.5km Karbude tunnel of the Konkan Railway.

“This is surely an engineering marvel,” said Colonel Parminder Singh, assistant general manager of Ircon, the railway ministry arm constructing the tunnel. “We have completed 4.5km from the Banihal side and 3.5km from the Qazigund side. We are now in the last stage of the project.”

The Rs 647-crore project will cap another milestone by the railways — the 119km stretch from Baramulla in north Kashmir to Qazigund in south Kashmir, which became operational a few months ago.

However, a Valley resident who catches a train from Baramulla or Srinagar and arrives in Banihal will then have to ride a bus or car to Udhampur before he can take a train again to travel deeper into India. The railway stretch from Banihal to Udhampur is yet to be completed.

Work on the tunnel began six years ago simultaneously with the Qazigund-Baramulla stretch after then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee announced a 292km rail link between Baramulla and Udhampur, connecting the Valley with the rest of country, a project conceived more than 100 years ago.

When completed, it would be a viable alternative to the 300km Jammu-Srinagar highway, on which travel is risky but which is now the only surface link between Kashmir and the rest of India.

The Rs 11,000-crore rail link is divided into three sections — Udhampur-Katra, Katra-Qazigund and Qazigund-Baramulla. The third stretch alone stands completed and is operational.

The remaining two sections pass through difficult terrain and will have numerous tunnels and bridges, including the world’s highest bridge, 359 metres high and 1.3km long, over the river Chenab.

Only when these two sections are complete will the dream of a long-distance train chugging into the Valley from mainland India be realised. Work on the Katra-Qazigund stretch, however, was stopped last year after some experts raised doubts about the track alignment.

But work on the Qazigund-Banihal tunnel has continued uninterrupted, and care is being taken to provide it with modern drainage, fire-fighting and ventilation facilities. The tunnel has a three-metre-wide road running parallel to the tracks to deal with emergencies.

Construction is being done following the Austrian tunnelling method, first used in India for the Delhi Metro. The method involves the integration of surrounding soil formations into a ring-like support structure.



The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Chug to Kashmir through India’s longest tunnel

 

[Break the Silence]

This is one of the hottest defence news on national channels ,now a days..Good bless you India.. Good going.
Btw , i am aware of fact that it will really help a lot in easy movement of troops to confront pakistan Army, But What i want to know, its importance in conflict with china???

 

[ramu]

This is one of the hottest defence news on national channels ,now a days..Good bless you India.. Good going.
Btw , i am aware of fact that it will really help a lot in easy movement of troops to confront pakistan Army, But What i want to know, its importance in conflict with china???

The importance of infrastructure was underscored by Kargil conflict and in the art of War, losing ground due to access constraints is costly.

This network of Tunnels is for the benefit of tourism, employment and effective defense in J & K

 

[ramu]

Defense minister makes a point

After decades of neglect, India is finally becoming a little more proactive in trying to match China’s rapid strides in developing infrastructure along the two countries’ border, including developing forward airbase capabilities to enhance air operations and improving the road network in the inhospitable high-altitude terrain of the Leh-Ladakh region.

On June 22, AK Antony became the first Indian defense minister to land at the Advanced Landing Ground of Nyoma in Ladakh in Jammu & Kashmir and close to the Line of Actual Control. This symbolic move followed the first landing of a fixed wing Indian Air Force at this strategic airstrip last September.

The airstrip is vital from an Indian security point of view as it enables the IAF to operate in Leh-Ladakh region in support of the Army. India has developed Nyoma with China in mind as it allows the Indian military to supply Siachen and other areas of strategic interest to New Delhi during the harsh winters.


Antony also reviewed the security situation in both the eastern and western sectors of Jammu & Kashmir for the Army and the Air Force (in the Kargil and Siachen sectors, India shares a border with Pakistan, while in Ladakh it shares a border with China).

But Antony’s visit to Leh-Ladakh was not just strategic—there was a touch of humanity about it as well. He got a feedback from the troops on the situation on the ground and lent a patient ear in trying to understand the problems and needs of troops stationed there. He also made an aerial survey of Fukche and visited the Siachen base camp to see for himself what has been done so far to improve the living and operational requirements of personnel.

Antony’s interaction with the troops was reportedly frank, covering even the basics like the quality of socks. This may sound trivial, but in a barren area where the main enemy isn’t opposing forces but the elements, such quality of life considerations can make an important difference. The troops also told Antony they needed far more snow scooters and that satellite calls from the area were extremely expensive. Antony is said to have listened to the troops patiently and assured them of early action on all the issues they raised.

While in the region, he also took the opportunity to visit the Defense Institute of High Altitude Research (DIHAR) where he could see for himself the pioneering research aimed at improving the lives of soldiers that DIHAR is engaged in, research that could also have civilian applications. DIHAR, is said to be the only institute in the world devoted exclusively to developing new arid agro-animal technologies for extremely cold climates, and is also engaged in environmental work. It’s currently working, for example, on sustainable plant cultivation, research into growing hybrid vegetables, developing kits for detecting and treating altitude sickness and working on developing high nutrition products.



AK Antony Meets the Troops | Indian Decade

 

[ramu]

PC approves Rs 7200 cr outlay for JK

Srinagar: Much to the expectations of the Jammu and Kashmir government, the Planning Commission Friday approved the projected Rs 6000 crore plan outlay for the state for 2010-11 to lend impetus to the development works. Besides the Commission also gave nod to Rs 1200 crore financial assistance under the Prime Ministers Reconstruction Program for JK at a 2-hour long meeting between the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah-led state team with the Planning Commission members headed by its Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia at New Delhi.
Terming his meeting with the PC as “fruitful and positive” Omar told Greater Kashmir having got the plan finalized at a “decent time”, the government would now make maximum use of the approved funds.
Besides Omar, the Finance Minister, Abdul Rahim Rather, Chief Secretary SS Kapoor, Economic Advisor, Jaleel Ahmad Khan, Principal Secretary to the CM, Khursheed Ganai and top officials of the Finance, Planning and other departments were part of the JK team.
Ahead of approval to the plan by the PC, Omar who is also heading the state’s Planning Department had given one hour power point presentation about the development scenario and ongoing works in different state sectors before the Commission.
“I also highlighted the difficulties and challenges which our economy is facing especially on account of losses in power sector. The state economy annually loses more than Rs 2,000 crore due to poor Transmission and Distribution network. We can ill afford it and have to ensure speedy implementation of power reforms,” said Omar.
On T&D losses, which were the highest - 65 percent - for the last fiscal, reports quoted Omar as saying, “This is something we are working on. We are trying to put in place a turnaround plan with the help of union power ministry to bring it down to acceptable levels.”
Omar assured the Commission that his government would create investment friendly environment and fiscal discipline would be maintained to make process of development more sustainable. The Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister for liberal financial support to Jammu and Kashmir.
The JK’s plan size for the last fiscal was Rs 5500 crore besides Rs 1200 crore financial assistance under PMRP.
“Not only did the Commission approve Rs 6,000 crore plan size and Rs 1,200 crore financial assistance under PMRP, it approved Rs 4,606 crore additional resources to fully fund and finance the plan,” said Commissioner/Secretary, Planning BB Vyas. “It is very encouraging plan. The Planning Commission was impressed with the power point presentation by the Chief Minister.” He said the Chief Minister gave a detailed presentation on the state employment policy framed to tackle the unemployment.
Economic Advisor Jaleel Ahmad Khan said the state government was realistic in pitching the demand of Rs 6000 crore plan size and the Planning Commission and union Finance Ministry were helpful in lending their support. The state government’s performance in ensuring more than 96 percent (Rs 5281 crores) expenditure of the Rs 5500 crore plan size for the last fiscal despite delay in approval due to the assembly and parliamentary elections, encouraged the Commission to approve the plan size. The meeting had noted with satisfaction the 90 percent funds availability under PMRP with Rs 732.47 crores having been spent out of allocated Rs 813 crore.
The Commission is learnt to have appreciated government’s plan to develop 690 MW power generation project in PPP mode while favouring that the hydroelectric potential needed to be exploited as it holds key to the state’s economic growth. The Commission has asked the state government to take steps to draw up a skill development plan to enhance employability of youth.
Reviewing the implementation of the flagship PMRP in JK, the meeting expressed satisfaction over the execution of works in the state sector which includes completion of Baglihar-I and Khanabal-Pahalgam Road and other projects.
However, the Commission has observed that there were large gaps in the delivery of health services mainly due to shortage of manpower, asking the state government to take appropriate steps to fill these critical gaps and have focused attention on inclusive growth.
It has asked the state government to work out an action plan for rapid development during 12th plan period to ensure that development reaches to grassroots level.
Though the meeting to fix the plan size had got delayed, the Finance Minister had already incorporated the figure of Rs 6000 crore worth annual plan and Rs 1200 crore PMRP in the budget presented by him in the state legislature in March this year subject to change in the plan size figures in the final PC meeting.
The government had authorized the DDCs to utilize 50 percent revenue component and 25 percent capital component till the finalization of plan for their respective districts. The government had, however, made it clear that the 25 percent capital component should only be utilized for the ongoing schemes so that their completion doesn’t get delayed for want of funds. Planning Department has also given authorization for utilization of cent percent funds in the remote and inaccessible areas in all the districts purely as per last year’s ceiling.
Vyas said the government would now fix the dates for holding the District Development meetings to ensure timely allocation of funds for speedy execution of the works. The dates for holding DDB meeting for Srinagar and Jammu have already been worked out.
Later, interacting with the waiting newsmen the Chief Minister thanked the Prime Minister and the Union Finance Minister for being credibly supportive of Jammu and Kashmir. He said in the light of funds and resource availability the State Government would do its best to bring the turn around.

Highlights

* Rs 7200 cr plan including Rs 1200 cr under PMRP


* Additional resources of Rs 4606 cr to fully fund the plan


* Plan to focus on employment generation


* Govt to pursue reforms in Urban Development,Power sector


* Of Rs 5500 cr plan size for last fiscal,Rs 5281 cr spent


* Rs 700 cr schemes implemented under projected mode


* CM invites Planning Commission team to Kashmir

 

[DesiGuy]

it's good and India should invest heavily in Kashmir for infrastructure.

 

[peacekeeper]

It will be good for J&K people having rail connectivity with rest of the India.
great work GOI

 

[Dash]

Good move by us...lets keep going all out in all defense matters.

 

[CONNAN]

at last we can have the logistic support without any hurdles