Proposed Tunnel Project in J&K Stalled Due to Cost and Infra Concerns

18 Apr 2025 CW Team

The proposal to construct two tunnels — Singhpora-Vailoo and Sudhmahadev-Dranga — on the Anantnag-Chenani corridor in Jammu and Kashmir has been halted. The Public Investment Board (PIB), headed by the expenditure secretary, rejected the recommendation, citing multiple reasons for the decision. The estimated cost for building both tunnels was nearly Rs 90 billion.

Officials from the National Highway and Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd (NHIDCL) clarified that an existing road already connects the origin and destination of the proposed tunnels. Additionally, the roads in question were not classified as strategic by the defence ministry, as per discussions in the March meeting.

The PIB also noted that NHIDCL had failed to provide detailed traffic data for both the existing and proposed routes. Despite reviewing several public-funded projects, the inter-ministerial panel found no clear direct benefits from the tunnel project.

Citing the good quality of the existing infrastructure, the PIB concluded that the tunnels were unnecessary. As a result, the J&K double tunnel project will be delayed indefinitely, with the Ministry of Road Transport directing that no new projects would be approved under the Bharatmala scheme without Cabinet approval for works exceeding Rs 10 billion.

Since the two tunnels fell under this category, they were dropped from the appraisal process by both the PIB and the Public Private Partnership (PPP) Appraisal Committee, largely due to budget constraints and the presence of adequate existing infrastructure.

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