Inaugurating the strategic Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal’s Sonmarg, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the new network of roads and railway lines in the union territory of Kashmir has “Already ended ‘Delhi ki Doori’ (the socio-political distance between Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi). However, the PM remained silent on the timeline to restore the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Z-Morh tunnel is a state-of-art 6.5 km long tunnel. The estimated cost of building the tunnel is ₹2,500 crore. The tunnel will make access to Sonmarg easier for tourists around the year. The upcoming Zogila tunnel, which connects Kashmir with Ladakh, is intended to ease the lives of Kargil and Leh people as well, according to the PM.
“During snowfall, avalanches and landslides, the road would get closed. Hospitals are cut off and essentials are 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 Sonmarg, which has already seen a quantum jump in tourist football.” said PM Modi.
Omar Abdullah Visits Tunnel Site
A day before the inauguration, on January 11th, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Umar Abdullah inspected the tunnel. He also spoke about his vision of making Ganderbal a global winter sports destination. Sports like skiing and other adventure activities will create new opportunities for tourism and economic growth. Other than strategic importance for Indian national defence and trade, the tunnel will make Sonmarg a year-round tourism hub. The larger plan is to enhance connectivity along NH-1 and reduce the travel time between Srinagar and Leh. These projects are expected to become catalysts of economic growth and social-cultural integration between Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
