Vailoo-Singhpora, Sudmahadev tunnels await final nod amid setbacks

Srinagar, Jul 13: The National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) is awaiting final clearance from the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways to re-tender the 10.3-km Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel and invite fresh bids for the 4.5-km Sudmahadev-Dranga tunnel, two projects seen as vital for ensuring all-weather connectivity between Chenab Valley and Kashmir.

Despite major clearances and land acquisition being completed, the re-tendering of the Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel remains on hold, officials said.

“We are still waiting for official communication regarding final approval. Only after that can we proceed with re-tendering,” NHIDCL General Manager Raghu Nath Sharma told Greater Kashmir. “Until then, anything would be premature.”

According to Sharma, land acquisition for the approach road to the Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel from Vailoo to Ahlan on the Kashmir side has been completed, with Rs 78 crore sanctioned.

Nearly half of the compensation has already been disbursed to affected villagers.

On the Kishtwar-Jammu side, acquisition is also complete, and compensation is underway.

The approach roads for both sides of the tunnel span over 38.6 km in total.

Similarly, land acquisition for the approach road to the 4.5-km Sudmahadev-Dranga tunnel has been completed, and compensation is in progress.

However, the project has yet to be tendered.

In April, The Times of India reported that the Public Investment Board (PIB), chaired by the expenditure secretary, had rejected both tunnel proposals on the Anantnag-Chenani corridor, citing cost and technical concerns.

However, NHIDCL officials said they have not received any formal intimation of such a rejection.

“There might be technical concerns, but with compensation already paid and forest clearances in place, I don’t believe these projects will be shelved,” a senior NHIDCL official said.

The two tunnels are considered crucial to providing all-weather connectivity.

The 10.3-km Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel between Ahlan in Kokernag and Chatroo in Kishtwar is intended to bypass the snow-bound Sinthan Pass, which remains closed during winter months.

The 4.5-km Sudmahadev-Dranga tunnel, on the other hand, would offer a safer alternative to the landslide-prone Doda-Batote road. NHIDCL had invited bids for the Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel in 2023, but the process was scrapped in 2024 after the Ministry of Home Affairs denied clearance to the lowest bidder, a joint venture between Transrail Lighting and Azerbaijan-based EVRASCON, over issues related to its bank guarantee.

Despite the setback, NHIDCL expressed its intention to re-tender both projects.

But the PIB’s reported rejection had triggered political and public criticism across Chenab Valley and south Kashmir.

During the inauguration of the Z-Morh tunnel in January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari made indirect references to future connectivity projects, including Vailoo-Singhpora, giving local stakeholders hope.

Approved in 2017 and reaffirmed in 2021, the Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel project has suffered repeated delays.

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) leader Firdous Tak had called the reported rejection a “betrayal” of the Chenab Valley.

“These are not just infrastructure projects. These are lifelines for socio-economic upliftment,” he said.

Kishtwar Bar Association President Sheikh Nasir, echoing the sentiment, says, “The Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel is a lifeline. Its rejection would show disregard for the region’s needs.”

Ishtiyaq Ahmad Dev, a social activist from Doda, stressed the urgent need for the Sudmahadev-Dranga tunnel, citing frequent road subsidence due to nearby power projects.

Muhammad Lateef, a shopkeeper in Kishtwar, said the tunnel would ease winter hardships. “This project is our hope,” he said.

Suhail Ahmad, a businessman from Kokernag, said the tunnel could significantly boost tourism and trade in the region.