x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   Terrorist country Pak wants to derail J&K’s development journey: LG Sinha | LG visits Nunwan base camp, interacts with pilgrims, officials, others | RSS to reach every home during centenary year | Op Sindoor led to increase in demand for indigenous defence products: Rajnath Singh | Army, Defence Minister pay tribute to Capt Batra | Azad unofficially disbands DPAP as key leaders desert party! | Pahalgam terror attack: NIA gets custody of 2 accused for 10 more days | Day 5: 23,857 pilgrims pay obeisance, figure crosses 90,000 mark | 3 yatris among 4 injured in Anantnag accident | Court rejects bail of woman involved in terror activities | BSF jawan shoots himself dead | 2 civilians stranded on landslide-hit road rescued | Kashmir: Schools to reopen today | Mission Director HADP inaugurates capacity building programme of FPO’s | Conduct of Medical Patrol for Awam at Songri, Rajouri | Ex-Servicemen Rally, outreach Program conducted | Shri Amar Kshatriya Rajput Sabha holds meeting | Awareness Camp organized under Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Utkarsh Abhiyan | Take Modi government’s 11 years of achievements to every household: Balbir | Empowering Voices of Justice: National Gurjar Advocates Conference held | Two-day Shoulder Rehabilitation workshop organises | DLSA Srinagar organizes awareness programme on drug abuse | Amarnath Yatra a spiritual & religious journey | Invisible Walls | Parched Paradise: Scorching heat dries up Kashmir’s Summer Charm | LG Sinha’s Rallying Call | BNI J&K hosts 4th edition, uniting 300 business leaders from across India, honoring top | One notorious drug peddler nabbed by Jammu Police | Himachal Rains: Rescue Operations On To Trace 30 Missing After Cloudbursts, Landslips In Mandi | Police arrests a drug peddler from Bus Stand | BRO CE calls on Dy CM; discusses road infra in Jammu province | Adityanath pays tributes to Kargil martyr Captain Vikram Batra on death anniversary | Delhi Speaker meets Amit Shah, briefs about ongoing initiatives in Assembly | Youtuber Jyoti Malhotra's Judicial Custody Extended By 14 Days In Espionage Case | ISRO Chief Dr V Narayanan meets CM Yogi, explores dedicated satellite for Uttar Pradesh | 'Approval for Phase IV of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana will be given as per the state's proposal' - Shri Shivraj Singh | NFR Strengthens Safety Measures for Monsoon Operations | DIG JKS Range Shiv Kumar IPS conduct Security Review | HC dismissed petition with costs Rs 50000 | Elderly man loses Rs 73.72 lakh in gold trading draud after meeting woman on dating app | Luggage packed, will move out of official residence: Ex-CJI DY Chandrachud | Van Mahotsav 2025: Forest Dept to plant 3.5 crore saplings along riverbanks | Shrine Board Judokas to represent India at International Competitions | International recognition of cross-border terrorism validates India's stand: Kavinder Gupta | DC Kulgam takes review of Mission YUVA; assesses implementation, progress | Sheep Husbandry deptt organizes PMFME workshop/awareness programme | ABRSM delegation meets CEO Jammu, highlights teachers' key issues | Macadamization work begins on Tujjar Sharief to Zaingeer road, Baramulla | Over Rs.41 crore allocated under DDC, BDC, PRI & Aspirational Grants in Bandipora | PAC holds meet at Srinagar, discusses Audit Paras of HUDD | J&K Cine Association slams 'Hillywood' label as misleading and politically driven | UP CM orders strict action against those attempting to defile Kanwar Yatra | 5 of family murdered on suspicion of practising witchcraft in Bihar, oppn slams govt | PM Modi at BRICS, a global wake-up call against terrorism: Gaurav Gupta | Shiv Sena distributed poster to Amarnath pilgrims for 'Jammu-Darshan' | SBI hands over Rs 1.10 Crore DSP PAI claim to family of Martyr Rifleman Sunil Kumar | Mission Director HADP inaugurates five-day Capacity Building Programme for FPOs | Beating the heat wave and humidity, IGNOU flying squad teams charge into Exam Centres for on-the-spot monitoring | FVSc and AH, SKUAST-Jammu celebrates World Zoonoses Day- 2025 | Annual congregation of All India Rohmetra Mahajan Biradari on 10th , July | Bovine smuggling attempt foiled, 09 bovines rescued, in Latti | LIC of India introduces new Plans LIC's Nav Jeevan Shree (Plan 912) & LIC's Nav Jeevan Shree Single Premium (Plan 911) | 15-day Youth Development Programme on 'Premier Banker' inaugurates | Mechanical Engineering students of DBU developed "Multi-Utility Power Generating Kit" | 'Kala aur Atmanirbharta' culminates at MCM | Tanvi Sharma eyes junior titles before full-fledged senior switch | JKCCA appoints Dr Rekha Rani Sharma as Advisor | Pinegrove Director elected president BSAI | Aryaveer and Aaryavir: The Kohli, Sehwag connection at this year's DPL | Indian archers eye World Championship preparation at Madrid World Cup | Back Issues  
 
news details
Ganderbal Residents hope Z-Morh Tunnel will Boost Tourism
1/12/2025 9:18:53 PM
Early Times Report

SONAMARG, Jan 12: Residents of Ganderbal district, living on either side of the 6.5 kilometre Z-Morh tunnel on Srinagar-Sonamarg highway, are hopeful that the mega-infrastructure project will boost the local economy and help eradicate unemployment in the area.
“It is a good thing that the Z-Morh tunnel will open soon, immensely benefitting the locals. Sonamarg is breathtaking in winter, but the road closure, prevented visitors. We are grateful to the government for this tunnel,” a local shopkeeper, Mohammad Yousuf Shera, said.
Shera believes the year-round connectivity between Srinagar and Sonamarg will elevate the destination’s global appeal.
“Sonamarg will now be famous not only in the country but around the world. I think foreigners will like this place,” he said.
Highlighting the strategic importance, Shera said the tunnel will also benefit armed forces.
“There should be facilities for the soldiers who to defend the country at the borders. The tunnel would facilitate the soldiers in terms of better connectivity,” he added.
The Z-Morh tunnel has reduced travel time between Srinagar and Sonamarg allowing vehicles to travel at speeds of up to 70 kilometer per hour compared to the earlier 30 kilometer per hour on the winding roads. The tunnel has a capacity of handling 1000 vehicles per hour.
The project will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, his first visit to the union territory after the assembly polls.
A local, Shabir Ahmad, said the tunnel ensures year-round accessibility to Sonamarg.
“We are happy that now tourists can come to Sonamarg throughout the year.
Earlier the region remained cut off for four months due to snow. Now, not just Sonamarg but areas like Drass and Kargil will remain connected,” he said.
“People in this area are poor but this tunnel will provide year-round livelihood opportunities now,” he added.
Echoing the sentiment, a tourist guide Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh said the opening of the tunnel will help in addressing the problem of unemployment in the area.
He said that he has been working as a tourist guide here for the past several years.
However, the tourist season was limited to only six months due to road closures caused by snowfall.
Sheikh said the tunnel will bring tourists all year, providing better facilities and more income opportunities for locals.
A group of tourists from Nagpur, who had managed to visit Gagangir on Saturday, lauded the project calling it a great move.
“We are amazed to see that such a beautiful place is in India itself. We have been able to reach here because of this tunnel, otherwise we would have missed this beautiful view,” they said.
“A lot of people are already visiting Kashmir but we will recommend all our friends and family to visit this place at least once,” they added.
The work on the Z-Morh tunnel began in May 2015. It took almost a decade to complete the works as the Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), the initial concessionaire for executing the project, stopped work in 2018 due to financial stress.
The project was retendered in 2019 and awarded to APCO Infratech in January 2020, which had emerged as the lowest bidder.
The foundation stone for the Rs 2,716.90 crore project was laid in October 2012 by C P Joshi, then Minister for Surface Transport during the UPA II government, in the presence of his then cabinet colleague Farooq Abdullah, then Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
The tunnel was initially expected to be completed by 2016-2017.
  Share This News with Your Friends on Social Network  
  Comment on this Story  
 
 
 
Early Times Android App
STOCK UPDATE
  
BSE Sensex
NSE Nifty
 
CRICKET UPDATE
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
Home About Us Top Stories Local News National News Sports News Opinion Editorial ET Cetra Advertise with Us ET E-paper
 
 
J&K RELATED WEBSITES
J&K Govt. Official website
Jammu Kashmir Tourism
JKTDC
Mata Vaishnodevi Shrine Board
Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board
Shri Shiv Khori Shrine Board
UTILITY
Train Enquiry
IRCTC
Matavaishnodevi
BSNL
Jammu Kashmir Bank
State Bank of India
PUBLIC INTEREST
Passport Department
Income Tax Department
JK CAMPA
JK GAD
IT Education
Web Site Design Services
EDUCATION
Jammu University
Jammu University Results
JKBOSE
Kashmir University
IGNOU Jammu Center
SMVDU