Chattergala Tunnel Project in Jammu and Kashmir: All you need to know

On 5 January 2021, DG, BRO, Lt. General Rajeev Chaudhry briefed Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) DoNER, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh about the ongoing and proposed road and bridge projects in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East India. 

Reviewed various roads and bridges projects in #JammuAndKashmir and #Northeast with new BRO Chief Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary. The landmark Chattergala tunnel project in J&K and 4 NEC/DoNER funded projects in #Mizoram came up for detailed discussion. pic.twitter.com/5mFHjXYTQ6

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) January 5, 2021

DG, BRO, Lt. General Rajeev Chaudhry stated that he had witnessed unprecedented progress in roads and bridges construction in the last 5 to 6 years. He further stated that around a dozen BRO bridges have come up in the single Lok Sabha constituency of Udhampur-Kathua-Doda-- the notable among which are Atal Setu (Basohli) and Devika Bridge (Udhampur).

VIDEO: #Throwback!
January 2019 turned out to be a milestone month for the #Udhampur-#Kathua-#Doda Lok Sabha constituency. Two landmark projects, Udhampur Radio Station and Keediyan Gandiyal bridge Kathua were dedicated to the public. pic.twitter.com/wEIoDnDACD

— Dr Jitendra Singh (@DrJitendraSingh) January 19, 2021

Chattergala Tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir:

1- It will connect Kathua and Doda districts of Jammu and Kashmir via Basohli-Bani through Chattergalla to touch Bhaderwah and Doda.

2- The project will facilitate all-weather road connectivity between the two distant regions. 

3- It will also reduce the travel time from Doda in Jammu and Kashmir to Lakhanpur on the Punjab border to four hours. 

4- The Chattergala tunnel is 6.8 km long and the Feasibility Survey has already been conducted by the Border Road Organisation (BRO). 

5- The tunnel is expected to be completed in around 4 years.

6- The expected construction cost is around Rs. 3,000 crores. 

List of strategic bridges made by India in 2019-2020

Significance of the Chattergala Tunnel: 

1- The tunnel will prove to be a revolutionary game-changer as it will not only generate revenue but will also generate employment. 

2- Furthermore, the all-weather connectivity will facilitate ease of doing business, reduce the travel time and will bring forth unique opportunities for places like Bani and Bhaderwah, as tourists destinations of national repute. 

It is to be noted that the demand for Chattergalla tunnel was pending for several years but was not taken up the government due to other priorities. 

Other projects that were discussed during the meeting included the construction of roads and bridges in different hilly and difficult terrains of Jammu & Kashmir. At present, four road projects are funded by the North Eastern Council (NEC) under the aegis of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) in Mizoram and two Border Road Organisation (BRO) projects in Manipur.

Source: PIB

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