Jammu: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Tuesday announced that the demand for constructing a tunnel on the road connecting Keran and Jumgund areas of Kupwara district, aimed at providing all-weather connectivity, will be pursued with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).
He said that a detailed project report (DPR) would be prepared and submitted to the relevant authorities.
Responding to a query by National Conference (NC) MLA Saifullah Mir during the Question Hour in the Assembly here, the deputy chief minister said the Keran sector is currently linked with the rest of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir via the Pharkiyan Gali to Keran road, spanning 46.76 kilometres and maintained by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
This road experiences partial closures during winter due to snow accumulation, with regular clearance operations by the BRO to ensure connectivity to the Keran sector, he added.
“The Zirhama-Jumgund road, stretching 25.00 km, is a high-altitude route where snow clearance operations are challenging, particularly between kilometers 17 and 20, due to poor visibility, frost action, avalanches and snow slides,” he explained.
The deputy chief minister emphasized that there are currently no alternative routes available for Keran and Jumgund areas, underscoring the importance of the Pharkiyan Gali to Keran road, which is also maintained by the BRO.
The deputy chief minister said no alternate roads are available at present for the Keran and Jumgund areas, necessitating the need for a tunnel.
Mir said the people of the border villages are facing immense hardships due to the seasonal closure of the road.
The situation is such that a pregnant woman is shifted outside the area before the snowfall, he said.
Meanwhile, Jal Shakti Minister Javed Ahmad Rana informed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly that Rs 132 crore has been allocated for enhancing drinking water supply schemes in Bandipora constituency.
Responding to a query by Nizamuddin Bhat, the minister mentioned that the DPR for the Bandipora town project, to be implemented under AMRUT 2.0, is currently being surveyed and formulated.
He reiterated that providing potable drinking water to every household is a national priority launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 under the Jal Jeevan Mission for rural areas and extended under AMRUT 2.0 for the urban areas in Jammu and Kashmir.
