The frequent closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway due to badweather has once again brought the focus back on the Mughal road.
The arterial road which connects Shopian with Poonch inJammu region could provide a safe and all-weather alternative to theSrinagar-Jammu highway.
“A seven kilometer long tunnel between Zanzar and Chattapanicould serve the purpose. It will make Mughal road a reliable all-weather road,”said a Mughal road official on the condition of anonymity because he is notauthorised to brief the media.
He said a preliminary project report (PPR) for the tunnel,which would reduce the distance by at least 22km, had already been sent to theUnion government.
The 84-km Mughal road between Shopian and Bafliaz remainsshut for at least six months due to heavy accumulation of snow at variousplaces along the stretch.
There is around 14 feet snow at Peer Ki Gali. It will taketwo more months to make the road motorable again.
In May 2018, Nitin Gadkari, Union minister for roads andhighways, during a meeting with former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti had”agreed in principle” to provide the “National Highway” status to the road.
But barring the PPR, nothing has been done so far, said anengineer with Mughal road division Shopian.
Business community is of the opinion that turning the fairweather Mughal road into all-weather road would not only promote the businessbut also save the community from suffering the losses due to the frequentclosure of Srinagar-Jammu highway.
“Our fruit laden trucks are often stuck along Srinagar-Jammuhighway for days together. The delay causes damage to the fruit. A tunnel onMughal road could provide a safe and permanent alternative,” said Abdul Rashid,a fruit grower and trader of Shopian.
Javed Ahmad Choudhary, a resident of Poonch, said thatMughal road had proved very helpful in providing employment to hundreds ofpeople in the Pir Panchal region.
Chief executive engineer Mohammad Iqbal Mir told GreaterKashmir that further progress on the road will happen once the PPR issanctioned as only then could a Detailed Project Report (DPR) be worked out.