Jammu: Two major tunnel projects on Jammu- Srinagar  Highway to reduce the distance between twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, would be completed in 2016, the state Legislative Council was informed Tuesday.
Work on Banihal-Qazigund tunnel and Chenani-Nashri tunnel projects is in progress. These projects are likely to be completed by June, 2016 and May, 2016 respectively, Minister of State for Revenue Ajaz Ahmad Khan said in reply to a question by S Bashir Ahmad Veeri (NC).
Khan said construction work for widening of North-South corridor of National Highway 1-A from Lakhanpur, Kathua to Parimpora, Srinagar is going on and is being executed by National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Road Organisation (BRO).
He said widening of the stretch from Lakhanpur to Jammu (Kunjwani) has been completed, while work on Jammu-Udhampur stretch is in progress and is expected to be completed by December.
Work on Udhampur-Cheneni road stretch is to be started, while as the work on Chenani-Nashri tunnel is going on in full swing and is expected to be completed by May, 2016, he said.
Ajaz informed that work on Ramban-Banihal section has not been taken up so far as the approval for the stretch is pending with the Union Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways.
He said as far as Banihal and remaining part of National Highway in Kashmir Division is concerned, there are two stretches — Banihal-Srinagar and Srinagar-Uri — which are being executed by NHAI and BRO respectively.
Work on Banihal-Qazigund tunnel is in progress and is likely to be completed by June, 2016, he said.
Land for construction of Qazigund-Srinagar road has been handed over to NHAI and work on the stretch is expected to be completed by this year-end, he said. The work on Parimpora, Srinagar to Baramulla has not been taken up so far as no indent has been received by the collectors concerned for acquisition of land, Khan said.
He said work on Baramulla-Uri stretch was on as land for the purpose had been handed over to the executing agency.
He said 18 chinar trees had to be felled for implementation of the project in Anantnag district.
Permission has been granted to fell 58 chinar trees in Pulwama district, he added.

KR Desk