The Jammu and Kashmir UT administration is all set to receive the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on Monday who will be visiting Kashmir to inaugurate the Z-Morh Tunnel on Monday that will make Sonamarg an all time destination and thus open it to skiing also. Opening of this tunnel will add one more new chapter to the upgradation of surface communication in Jammu and Kashmir. This tunnel will bypass the road from Gagangir to Sonamarg allowing visitors and locals to visit the hill station throughout the year. Presently, the Gagangir-Sonamarg stretch of the road gets blocked by heavy snowfall and avalanches that hit the area every year during winters. Together with the adjacent Zoji-La Tunnel, this geostrategically important tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh Highway will provide year-round weather-proof connectivity to Baltal (Amarnath cave), Kargil and other places in the Ladakh region. It is one of the 31 road tunnels, 20 in Jammu and Kashmir and 11 in Ladakh. The construction of the tunnel was started in 2018. Though Sonamarg is not ideal for advanced skiing, the destination will be a perfect place for basic and intermediate ski courses. Opening Sonamarg for skiing training will lessen the burden on Gulmarg as it would be used for advanced skiing and national and international events only.
Presently, Gulmarg is the only resort where skiing training courses, competitions and events are held. This makes Gulmarg too overburdened during winters and thus the resort faces threat of environmental degradation and infrastructural strain. By opening up Sonamarg in winters, basic ski training courses could be held here as Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah recently posted on X that with Sonamarg opening to tourism all year round, the place will now be developed as a great ski resort. Opening of Sonamarg will help diversify winter tourism too as during summers, besides Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg, tourists have alternative destination like Bangus Valley, Yusmarg, Doodpathri too besides Srinagar. Of late, Gurez too has emerged as a hotspot and has been receiving a good number of tourists.
Surface communication is key to the economic growth of any region, Jammu and Kashmir being no exception. Thankfully, from past few years, this sector has been under constant focus of the Central government. Srinagar-Jammu Highway is now in a better shape and travel on it, which otherwise was a constant torture, has become smooth and pleasant. Mughal Road, that connects Valley with Pir Panjal Division needs focussed attention. The tunnel that has been promised on the road should be prioritised so that this road also becomes all-weather road. Once Zoji-La tunnel is through, UT of Ladakh would have round the year connectivity,
However, while welcoming PM to Valley, people here would like to raise the issue of Srinagar-Delhi train, that too is to be started soon as trail runs have been completed. The indications given by the Northern Railway Delhi or Jammu bound passengers will have to deboard at Katra station and will have to change the platform, go through rescanning of their luggage and board another train, has upset the people. They were expecting a hassle free travel and were excited about it but the hiccup has come as a shocker. Though no one would question the security measures that are necessary, but making peoples’ travel hassle free should also be the concern of the concerned authorities.
