x

Like our Facebook Page

   
Early Times Newspaper Jammu, Leading Newspaper Jammu
 
Breaking News :   In the Shadows of Raja: “Bou Buttu Bhuta” Redefines Odia Cinema with Spectral Allegory of Rural Struggle | The role of the Anganwadi worker has evolved in tandem | Mental rabies means distance from humans, closeness with dogs | Today, Students must be Empowered to Choose not just what is “Safe,” | Sainik Sahayta Kendra | Under PM Modi’s leadership, J&K emerging as education, innovation hub: LG Sinha | Statehood to J&K: Cong mobilizing support of all 233 opposition Lok Sabha members to mount pressure | Kavinder Gupta assumes charge as Ladakh LG | ‘Want Ladakh to be recognised top tourism destination’ | DGP Prabhat reviews Bhadarwah security | CM Omar interacts with citizens at Raabita office in Srinagar | US designates LeT proxy TRF responsible for Pahalgam attack as terrorist organisation | Fresh batch of over 7,900 pilgrims leaves for holy cave shrine | Ahead of ‘Monsoon Session,’ Rajnath, Shah discuss ‘Operation Sindoor’ with NSA, tri-service chiefs | Truck hits car carrying Amarnath pilgrims, 8 injured | Man killed in Kathua accident | Traffic management committee | ACB arrests JDA official for accepting bribe | IT Deptt enables online utility for ITR-2 filing | CISF achieves record medal haul in 2024-25 | Jammu admin disburses Rs 24. 60 lakh compensation in 1 month | ZPHQ Jammu organises farewell ceremony | Janipur police nabs drug peddler wit 5 grams of heroin substance | Farooq hails Congress for taking up J&K statehood issue | CM Yogi's water conservation drive yields remarkable results in UP | DB upheld acquittal of KZF members | ADGP Armed felicitated DySP (Retd) Surjeet Choudhary | 75th anniversary of NSSO celebrated in Jammu | Dr Andrabi visits Eidgah Srinagar, meets youth delegations | Every disaster a lesson to learn from: CS | Doda police traced out missing lady and re-united with her family | Ramban police organized 'BHAROSA' awareness programmes | Improving infrastructure in lord Krishna's land is priority: Hema Malini | YRS will announce president after 23rd September celebration | APS Akhnoor hosts inspiring felicitation ceremony | Fake social media accounts being used to spark caste tensions, says CM Yogi Adityanath | Kathua police arrests absconder evading arrest | JKAACL organizes plantation campaign | The World Stands with Bharat, A Resounding Blow to Pakistan-Backed Terrorism: Gaurav | CS to kick start Vicharnag Temple renovation work today | NC workers join SBSP | Central University of Jammu organizes "Thursday Mind Meet" | Jammu police gifts selfie point to Akhnoor after national recognition | SKUAST-Jammu organizes ZREAC Kharif meeting | LPU inaugurates Real-World Tech Workplaces at Campus with Capgemini Code Experience Lab | DDC Kathua approves Rs 74.52 Cr District Capex Budget for FY 2025-26 | Bovine smuggling bid foiled by Doda police | First meeting of the 56th IFFI steering committee held in Mumbai | Inter-Nursing College Poster Competition held | Akhnnor Sports Club honours badminton players | India U-31 team wins bronze, U-16 finishes fourth in World Youth Team Bridge Championships | World Women's Chess Cup: All four Indians to play tie-breaks | Jadeja's "incredible fight" at Lord's Test earns him Team India's MVP tag | Free entry for Durand Cup at Jamshedpur | Didn't know that a national women's football team existed when I started out: Aditi Chauhan | 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