Govt links Mughal road tunnel tenders to forest, wildlife clearances

Srinagar, Feb 18: The government on Wednesday said tenders for the proposed Mughal Road Tunnel, also known as the Pir-ki-Gali Tunnel, will be invited only after approval of the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and completion of all statutory clearances.

Responding to an unstarred question by MLA Ch. Mohammad Akram, the government said the alignment proposal submitted by DPR consultant M/s SMEC (India) Pvt. Ltd. was discussed in the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways on Jan. 21, 2026.

The consultant will commence preparation of the Detailed Project Report only after the alignment is approved by the ministry, the reply said.

It added that the tendering process for the tunnel project will be undertaken only after the DPR receives approval from the ministry and all requisite statutory clearances, including forest, wildlife and land acquisition clearances, are obtained in accordance with rules.

The Union government has approved the detailed project report (DPR) for the Peer Ki Gali tunnel on the Mughal Road in June last year, paving the way for an all-weather alternative to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44), which frequently shuts during winter.

The project will bolster regional connectivity and reduce travel time between Kashmir and the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu region

“The 84-kilometre Mughal Road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir to Poonch via the Pir Panjal mountains, is currently only operational during summer months due to heavy snowfall, especially at Peer Ki Gali and Bafliaz.

With the approval of DPR, the long-stalled project is expected to move into the construction phase.

The tunnel, estimated to cost around Rs 5,000 crore, is being seen as a critical alternative to NH-44, which is prone to landslides and closures during harsh weather.

Residents on both sides of the Pir Panjal range expressed hope the tunnel would finally address their travel woes and end their winter isolation.

Although conceptualized several decades ago, the 84-km Shopian-Poonch Mughal Road was thrown open to light vehicular traffic in 2009.

Despite promises from successive governments, the tunnel remained on paper.

The project was highlighted in the PDP-BJP coalition government’s Common Minimum Program in 2015 and repeatedly discussed with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH).

The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) had initially entrusted the preparation of the DPR for road upgradation to Rodic Consultants Pvt Ltd in collaboration with Madrid-based Getinsa-Euroestudios.

NHIDCL also assigned Samit Pvt Ltd to prepare the DPR for the tunnel itself.

The consultancy has pegged the estimated cost of the project at around Rs 5,000 crore.

Even as NHIDCL prepared DPRs of the up-gradation of the road and started the process of preparing for the tunnel, it continued to be managed by the Mughal Road Division of R&B.

Officials had said the tunnel DPR work involved complex geotechnical challenges and will require specialised expertise.

However, the project was then handed over to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

Earlier, the project gained momentum after Union Minister Nitin Gadkari reiterated his commitment in early 2023.

The DPR process for the road upgradation and tunnel was formally initiated in 2019, but bureaucratic delays and agency reshuffles stalled progress until now.

With the Centre’s approval, officials and locals alike are hopeful that construction will begin soon, fulfilling a long-cherished goal of establishing a reliable, all-season link between Kashmir and the Pir Panjal region.