Srinagar: Government of India has allocated Rs 658 crore additional funds for the multi-crore semi ring road project in Kashmir, officials said.
The additional funds, the officials said have been allocated after little progress was reported in the project due to hassles in land acquisition. The Srinagar semi ring road project is divided into two phases. Under the first phase, the project was terminated by the contractor due to “non-handing” of minimum 90% land. “Now the additional Rs 658.41 crore have been approved for land acquisition,” officials said.
For phase second, the detailed project report (DPR) is under revision for change of alignment.
Under this phase, a two-way road will start at Narbal and meet in Ganderbal. The project is likely to cost Rs 1195 crore in Phase-I and Rs 448 crore in Phase-II.
The road length in the Phase-I will be 34.72 kilometers and in the Phase-II 27.2 kilometers. There will be a Toll Plaza at Narbal Junction. In the proposed four-lane road project from Galander to Narbal, there will be 155 culverts, two road-over bridges, two flyovers, five major junctions, 17 minor junctions and one Toll Plaza.
The two-lane road from Narbal to Ganderbal will have 135 culverts, five major junctions and nine minor junctions.
The projects should keep room for widening from four-lane to six-lane and from two-lane to four-lane to cater to future needs.
A revenue document reveals that Kashmir will lose 4730 kanals of agricultural land to the project. Semi ring road will take away 3661 kanals of agriculture land in Budgam, 379 kanals in Pulwama, 202 kanals in Srinagar, 150 kanals in Baramulla, 160 kanals in Bandipora and 176 kanals in Ganderbal. Aggrieved farmers, whose land is being acquired for construction of the semi-ring road, have already expressed their resentment, citing loss of livelihood.