Jammu & Kashmir - Projects and Development

[gentem]

Monday, May 16, 2011, 11:00 Hrs [IST]
BDA to unveil official website at Bhadarwah Tourism & Cultural Festival
By Imran Khan | Mumbai

Bhadarwah Development Authority (BDA) which was set up by the Jammu & Kashmir government under the Prime Ministers Reconstruction Plan is all set to unveil the official website for the region at Bhadarwah Tourism & Cultural Festival to be hosted by BDA from May 27-30, 2011. The under construction website to be known as www.bhadarwahheavens.com, will include details about tourists destinations, accommodation facilities, tenders for developing infrastructure in Bhadarwah region beside news updates and the calendar of events.

Informing about the development Kalyan Singh Parihar, Chief Executive Officer, BDA said, “For promoting the region separately as a tourist destination there was always a need to have an official dedicated website for Bhadarwah. The region has good potential to attract tourists hence we thought of launching a website to address tourists queries. We will unveil the official website at Bhadarwah Tourism & Cultural Festival to be held at the end of this month.”

According to Parihar, the region has plans to attract high-end tourists and is focusing on develop infrastructure within the town. Currently there are five to six hotels catering to high-end tourists and another four to five private hotels are being developed with the assistance of J&K Government. The region also provides home stay facilities for mid-segment tourists. To improve the accessibility to the region the state government is developing Bhadarwah-Chamba National Highway which is expected to be completed in next two years.

Furthermore, some of the major events that are schedule to held in Bhadarwah include a week long Mughal Road Rally to be held in June or July, Mela Pat, an historical three day fair schedule for month of September, 2011 beside its annual Kailash Yatra and Machail Yatra. Bhadarwah region received a total of 70,000 tourists last year including pilgrims.

[MxC]

A welcome development indeed! We definitely need more and more such projects to hasten integration of J&K with rest of India.

Tunnels to cut Jammu-Srinagar travel time by 5 hours by 2016
(Source: ToI)

In the next five years, you can hope to travel to Srinagar by road even during harsh winter or at the height of monsoon, and that too at a high speed.

The feat will be realized, thanks to Asia's longest all-weather two twin tunnels being built on the NH-1A, which connects Jammu with Srinagar. The tunnels will reduce the distance between the two towns by almost S51km, lessening the travel time by at least five hours.

The tunnels will not only make the journey less risky, but will also help boost tourism in the border state that saw a revival of the industry this year after a long gap. The stretch is also of immense strategic importance.

The tunnels are being constructed by the National Highways Authority India (NHAI) at two points - Quazigund to Banihal and Chenani to Nishri, which are part of the widening of the Jammu-Srinagar highway project.

Two parallel 8.5km tunnels between Quazigund to Banihal are being built by Indian infrastructure major Navayuga Engineering Co. at 1,790m above the sea level. This will be the first project in India, where each tunnel will be dedicated for only one-way traffic.

"Though each of the tubes will have a 7-m carriageway, which is adequate for two lanes, we will allow traffic only on one lane. The other lane will be set aside for emergency. The two tubes will be inter-connected at a distance of every 500m," said an NHAI official.

A senior engineer overseeing the project said tunnel will have modern amenities, including provision to make emergency calls and a state-of-the-art ventilation system. Oxygen will be released into the tunnels, and there will be facility for release of the polluted air. "Since the tunnels will provide uniform gradient, the average speed of vehicles would be about 50-60kmph. Dedicated tubes will also make the travel smoother," the engineer explained.

The existing stretch on NH-1A in this corridor has blind curves, steep gradient and vehicles - with more than eight--tonne load - are not allowed. NHAI officials said the entire mountainous stretch between these two points sees frequent slope failures, rock falls and avalanche.

There will be toll plazas at the end of both tunnels, which will also regulate the entry of vehicles. On Monday, highways minister C P Joshi laid the foundation stone for this project, and said efforts would be made to complete it before the deadline.

The second twin tubes are being built between Chenani and Nashri at 1,300m above the sea level by Australian infrastructure major, Leighton. The 8.9km tubes built through the Patnitop hills will ensure non-stop traffic movement even in inclement weather. At present, snowfall at Patnitop area leads to closure of the Jammu-Srinagar highway. The stretch traverses through several hairpin curves.

NHAI officials said the two tubes would be of different width. While the main tube will be a 9-m carriageway for both up and down traffic, the other one will have a 5-m carriageway. "This second tube will be used only for emergency evacuation," said an NHAI official.

Both the Quazigund-Banihal and Chenani-Nashri tunnels are built with the help of New Australian Tunneling Method (NATM) technique, where a portion of the rock is cut and explosives are fixed. Then, controlled explosions are carried out to hollow out rocks for laying the road.

"We are using boomers and machines that cut the rock to fix explosives. Then, programmed blasts at interval of micro-seconds are carried out. Later, machines are used for processing of dry or wet mixtures to reinforce the vaulting of tunnels," said a highway engineer.

[Cosmicbliss]

http://www.kashmirdispatch.com/headl...rs-kashmir.htm

ammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has roped former Indian spinner Bishen Singh Bedi for three years to coach cricketers from the state. JKCA President Dr Farooq Abduallh announced a three years contract with legendary spinner who will start coaching camps at SK Cricket Stadium from August 1 this year.

“We have signed a three year contract with Bishen Singh Bedi who along with his team will train our players. Our priority is that our Ranji Cricket team should not only participate but win matches,” said Abdullah who was accompanied with Bedi.

Urging the Ranji players to sweat out in the fields, Abdullah said "no recommendation will help any players in the selection".

“We will make our players lose sweat. We want killing spirit in them. There will be no compromise on hard work and dedication. Those who will show dedication and have talent will only be selected for the team. We want our teams to win the matches,” said JKCA President.

He said a coaching will be imparted to junior and the women cricket teams also.

“Besides working on with the Ranji players, we will prepare juniors and the women cricket team also. The players will be imparted training in every department with modern technology aid,” said Abdullah.

Farooq Abduallah said JKCA has indentified land at Ganderbal in Kashmir for the construction of an International Standard Stadium for which BCCI president Shashank Manohar, ICC President Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone.

“We have identified land at Ganderbal. We will talk to chief minster and sports minister for the acquisition of the land at Ganderbal. We have to build an international stadium here,” informed Abduallh.

He also said that the construction works for the international stadium at Bajalta in Jammu will start form September.

“We have already acquired land at Jammu. We will start develop the road leading to the ground from September so that construction material is carried to the stadium. When we have international stadiums, the cricket will improve in the State,” said he.

Farooq Abdullah said the grounds of the SP College and Amar Singh College will also be developed for cricket activities.

“These two grounds get sub-merged under water. I will give Rs 1.40 crore for the development of Amar Singh College Ground and Rs 40 lakh for the SP College ground. We want these grounds to be ready so that we can hold cricket tournaments there,” informed Abdullah.

On why politicians are in the field of sports, Abdullah quipped saying only politicians will help sports bodies move ahead.

“I would love if politicians come in sports to help the game improve. Only politicians can take the game formed. They will make the work happen for sports bodies they will be representing,” said he.

Bedi, who was also present at the press conference, said during his stint with JKCA he focus would be to make the JK team perform instead of just to participate.

"Now they will not have to participate but compete and win matches," the former India captain said.

"We will be taking these players to others cities to familiarise with conditions there so that they can adapt to changing conditions (during competitions)," he added.

Bedi said he was pleased to know that the JKCA was working on providing the right kind of infrastructure to the players from the state.

Asked what the players from state lacked, he said, "I would on what they need. If they need a gym, then they should get it and if they need a video analyst, he should be made available."

[Cosmicbliss]

The JKCA had invited applications for building stadiums in Jammu and Srinagar of international standards i.e. international cricket stadiums. It seems that the two stadiums will come up in Balijata (Jammu) and Ganderbal (Srinagar). I shall post details below.

[Cosmicbliss]

http://www.kashmirdispatch.com/headl...rs-kashmir.htm

ammu and Kashmir Cricket Association (JKCA) has roped former Indian spinner Bishen Singh Bedi for three years to coach cricketers from the state. JKCA President Dr Farooq Abduallh announced a three years contract with legendary spinner who will start coaching camps at SK Cricket Stadium from August 1 this year.

“We have signed a three year contract with Bishen Singh Bedi who along with his team will train our players. Our priority is that our Ranji Cricket team should not only participate but win matches,” said Abdullah who was accompanied with Bedi.

Urging the Ranji players to sweat out in the fields, Abdullah said "no recommendation will help any players in the selection".

“We will make our players lose sweat. We want killing spirit in them. There will be no compromise on hard work and dedication. Those who will show dedication and have talent will only be selected for the team. We want our teams to win the matches,” said JKCA President.

He said a coaching will be imparted to junior and the women cricket teams also.

“Besides working on with the Ranji players, we will prepare juniors and the women cricket team also. The players will be imparted training in every department with modern technology aid,” said Abdullah.

Farooq Abduallah said JKCA has indentified land at Ganderbal in Kashmir for the construction of an International Standard Stadium for which BCCI president Shashank Manohar, ICC President Sharad Pawar and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lay the foundation stone.

“We have identified land at Ganderbal. We will talk to chief minster and sports minister for the acquisition of the land at Ganderbal. We have to build an international stadium here,” informed Abduallh.

He also said that the construction works for the international stadium at Bajalta in Jammu will start form September.

“We have already acquired land at Jammu. We will start develop the road leading to the ground from September so that construction material is carried to the stadium. When we have international stadiums, the cricket will improve in the State,” said he.

Farooq Abdullah said the grounds of the SP College and Amar Singh College will also be developed for cricket activities.

“These two grounds get sub-merged under water. I will give Rs 1.40 crore for the development of Amar Singh College Ground and Rs 40 lakh for the SP College ground. We want these grounds to be ready so that we can hold cricket tournaments there,” informed Abdullah.

On why politicians are in the field of sports, Abdullah quipped saying only politicians will help sports bodies move ahead.

“I would love if politicians come in sports to help the game improve. Only politicians can take the game formed. They will make the work happen for sports bodies they will be representing,” said he.

Bedi, who was also present at the press conference, said during his stint with JKCA he focus would be to make the JK team perform instead of just to participate.

"Now they will not have to participate but compete and win matches," the former India captain said.

"We will be taking these players to others cities to familiarise with conditions there so that they can adapt to changing conditions (during competitions)," he added.

Bedi said he was pleased to know that the JKCA was working on providing the right kind of infrastructure to the players from the state.

Asked what the players from state lacked, he said, "I would on what they need. If they need a gym, then they should get it and if they need a video analyst, he should be made available."

[IndiansUnite]

The 330 MW Kishenganga hydro-electric power project has a 24 km tunnel component to it. Water from Kishenganga will be diverted to the Wullar lake. Here are some pics of the TBM being used - these were taken in May 2010.

Italian tunnelling specialist SELI has celebrated its 60th Anniversary by manufacturing a 400-ton, 6.18m diameter DSU TBM painted gold, for the Kishanganga tunnel project in India. The gilded machine was delivered to the main contractor HCC (Hindustan Construction Company) today during an official ceremony at the company’s factory in Aprilia. The DSU TBM will bore 700-1000m under the Himalayas, crossing critical geological conditions of localised poor and squeezing rock as well of fault zones.The TBM has been specially designed to cope with the ground conditions and improve them through extensive pre-treatment works.

The TBM, is equipped with 8 no. AC motors of 315 kW each, generating a total cutterhead power of 2520kW, controlled by a VFD system. Main and auxiliary thrust have also been over-specified.

The TBM will have high conicity, to cope with squeezing rock, and the shields are equipped with a special bentonite injection system to lubricate the shield in contact with the rock to reduce shield friction. Overboring and overcutting facilities will create further increases in the clearance around the shields in bad rock conditions under high cover.

The gripper shield is equipped with 26 holes for probe drilling/grouting the rock ahead of the face, while the tail shield is equipped with an additional 8 holes.

Convergence measurements will be performed continuously during excavation through specific holes in the front shield.

Source-Tunnel Talk

[truckin]

Leh to get Golf course

Stating that the beautiful mountains and vast terrains in Ladakh region possess great potential for attracting visitors from all over the World, the Chief Minister Thursday announced an 18-hole Golf Course at the banks of river Sind in Leh.

The Chief Minister said that Kashmir and Jammu are already on the map of world golf destinations. The development of full-fledged golf course in Leh would open new avenues of sports tourism in the area.

Abdullah praised the people of Ladakh for showing unity, brotherhood and courage in overcoming the hardships and difficulties caused by the natural calamity in the shape of cloud-burst and flash-flood last year. “I salute you for exhibiting this kind of bravery,” he told them asking for maintaining and nurturing the same spirit in future.

Speaking on the occasion, Minister for Tourism, Nawang Rigzin Jora highlighted the schemes Tourism Department has initiated in the State especially in Ladakh region for the promotion of tourism.

The Minister said that every measure would be taken to safeguard the environment and cultural heritage of the State while promoting the tourism activities.

[gentem]

Militancy obstructs opening of Bhaderwah-Chamba route
Written by Newspoint Bureau
Thursday, 27 October 2011 23:29

Doda, October 27
An ambitious attempt to provide an alternate link to Jammu and Kashmir with the rest of the country has seemingly reached a dead end, as the work has been affected due to prevailing militancy in the area and the government seems to be oblivious. The two crucial road networks-Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli and Bhaderwah-Chamba (Chamba district falls in Himachal Pradesh) started 33 years back and were termed crucial for the State's progress. This road would have considerably reduced the traffic flow on the Delhi-Pathankot-Jammu-Srinagar National Highway 1 and was particularly important for the people living in Doda district which is a poverty stricken belt of the State and geographically isolated from rest of the country. The work on the 60 km Chamba road had almost been completed in the early 1990s and civilian traffic had started plying before its official opening. But the movement of militants in the belt made the security forces to block this road as the civilians could have been easy targets. Similarly Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli, which is a 166 km route, was scheduled to start a decade back and if the conditions had remained normal it would have been opened now. Security officials admitted that it is difficult to ensure the protection of workers in thick forest belt. Seven years back terrorist attacked the working people on the same road. Immediately after the incident, additional troops were rushed to provide security to the labourers and the project restarted. But before any headway could be made, the massive snowfall gave a major blow to the project, said Masth Nath Yogi, a local leader. Due to the geographical isolation, many hamlets like upper Thannala of Bhaderwah tehsil have poor standards of education and living. For instance, in this village only seven people are literate and are mostly dependent on agriculture. If this road is opened, then the more than 1000 km distance will be reduced to less than 300 km enabling the producers to directly reach the trading centre of Punjab. "We will thus be able to earn more and ensure considerable economic progress," says Abdul Hafeez , a local resident. Hundreds of hamlets in Doda district are facing the same problem and for them the direct link with rest of the country remains the only hope. The district has the highest number of Below Poverty Line families in the State numbering 63,000. According to the 1981 census report the literacy rate in the district was 18.50.

Mughal Road links people, economies
SYED MOHSIN
Smaller Default Larger

Poonch, Oct 19: After every two days Sajjad Ahmad Dar brings two quintals of apples here in a load carrier from Shopian district of the Valley. He sells one kilogram apple at Rs 20. And people here say paying Rs 20 for famed Kashmiri apples is no big deal. Sajjad sells all apples in two days and returns to the Valley to bring more. “Though apples which we bring here are of low quality, it has takers here and we earn good revenue,” says Sajjad. He says high quality apples will cost around Rs 80 per kg.
He says nearly 30 load carriers take Mughal Road route to bring apple to Poonch and Rajouri areas of Jammu division each day, which a year ago was not possible.
The Mughal Road has reduced the distance between Bufliaz area of Poonch district in Jammu to Shopian in Kashmir valley to just 84 km.
Parveen Kumar is constable with Jammu and Kashmir Police. His eighty-year-old father had taken apple thrice in his life. “I was once posted in Sheeri area of Baramulla district in Kashmir Valley. And whenever I would come home, I will bring apples from the Valley. And I brought only thrice,” he said.
Now, he says, his father takes apples every day after traffic started plying on the Mughal Road. “It is not costly and we can afford apples every day,” he said.
Before opening of the Mughal Road the residents here would get one kg of apples at Rs 120 to Rs 140 and they were of good quality. “But now we get good quality apples at Rs 20 per kg,” says a journalist based in Rajouri. These days every family serves apples to guests in both Rajouri and Poonch districts.
Even though Mughal Road has not been officially opened, the vehicles ply on the road from both sides. The road has reduced distance between Valley and Pirpanchal region to three hours drive. There remains, however, a constant danger of landslides but it doesn’t deter people and traders here who are excited about the travel on the road.
They say once the road will be officially thrown open it will bring new economic opportunities.
“Even apples which are being brought from Shopian here are not of high quality. We have waited for them 60 years. Whatever their quality they are apples from Kashmir and they are being brought here through Mughal road, what else we need,” says emotionally charged Sabzar Ahmad, president Traders Union Thanamandi.
Anticipating that the road will attract large number of tourists, the land prices have already shot up. No one is ready to sell land at Bufliaz.
“They know after two to three years when Mughal Road will be officially opened it will bring all those tourists who visit Valley to this place. So why should they sell the land,” says a political leader. He rightly says tourists who visit Valley will be amazed to see the region. Like Kashmir, the Pirpanchal region has beautiful mountains and Valleys and it is also known for Sufi shrines.
Thousands of pilgrims from all across the country and from across LoC visit Sufi Shrine of Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah at Shahdra Sharief in Thannamandi Rajouri and Dargah Sain Baba Miran Bakhsh Sahab at Kopra Guntrian Moutain in Poonch. Both the shrines have facilities for food and lodging for the pilgrims. At present large number of Kashmiris taking the Mughal Road visit the shrine on Saturday and Sunday.
Travel on Mughal road itself is an exotic experience. The road passes through Pirpanchal mountain range, at an altitude of 11,500 ft (3505 m) that is higher than Banihal pass. At Pir Ki Gali a traveller could even touch the clouds.
There is a grand Sarai at Thannamandi and a terrace at Noori Chamb waterfalls. It was named after the Noor-Jehan, the queen of Jehangir.
A grand Mughal rest house still stands at mountain peak at Chandimarh on the route.
On both sides of Pirpanchal pass work is in progress. The revised estimate approved by both central and the State Government for the road is Rs 635 crore.
The official say another Rs 500 crore for construction of tunnel would make it an all-weather road and reduce the distance to 15-km from the present 84 km.
In early 70s, it was grandfather of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah who mooted the proposal of an alternative route to the Valley to improve the economy of Rajouri and Poonch and reduce traffic load on Srinagar-Jammu highway, right now the only link of Valley to the rest of India. In 2002 after Mufti Muhammad Sayeed took over as Chief Minister, he took up the project and despite several legal hitches got it completed.

Not sure if the road will close in winter..

[rockystone]

Infosys to train 100 Jammu and Kashmir youths every year

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...2055.cms#write

Software giant Infosys Ltd will train 100 engineering students from Jammu and Kashmir every year on advanced Information Technology enabled services.

Announcing the initiative today, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram said the Approval Committee of Special Industry Initiatives (SII), Jammu and Kashmir had on January 11 approved the proposal of Infosys Ltd to train 100 engineering graduates and Master of Computer Applications students in one year.

"Proposals of Future Group, Tata Consultancy Service (TCS), Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and Infosys Ltd to train 3,100 candidates under SII J-K have been approved so far," Chidambaram told a press conference here.

The approvals assume significance as there was a long pending demand from various quarters for providing advanced Information Technology enabled services related training to thousands of unemployed youth of Jammu and Kashmir.

[IndiansUnite]

J&K International Cricket Stadium at Jammu - capacity of 40,000


- Source

[gentem]

Niaz demands completion of Bhaderwah-Chamba road
6/21/2011 11:21:39 PM

BHADERWAH, 21 June: Former Minister and MLA Bhaderwah Mohammad Sharief Niaz demanded that work on Bhaderwah-Chamba road be speed up as the completion of this road is vital for tourism promotion in the area.
Addressing a felicitation function of newly elected Sarpanches and Panches at Bhaderwah Dak Bungalow, Niaz said that more than 90 percent of the Congress workers have emerged victorious in the just concluded Panchayat elections. He said that victory of such a large number of Congress workers in the Panchayat elections is a clear indication that party has strengthened its base in Bhaderwah assembly segment.
Pointing towards problems being faced by the locals, he demanded that over 30 kilometers belt from Hadal Barai to Shindra area in the right bank of Neeru Nullah has been confronting with the acute scarcity of drinking water. He demanded that water supply should be streamlined in this belt to minimize hardship being faced by the people.
He further demanded that Bhaderwah to Kailash Kund road, Bhaderwah to Seoz cable car project should be approved to boost tourism in this area. He reiterated his demand that Bhaderwah-Bani road should be made functional for big vehicle. He said that completion of this road would boost tourism.
Niaz said that the restoration work of Bhaderwah fort and its conversion into a museum is going on very slow despite shifting of the jail from the complex.

[anidel]

Better connectivity is not only the key to the development its also a good tool to kill militancy. Where ever there is bad roads/no roads there is militancy be it Maoist or others.

[geico2000]

I know this is not related to Industries, but I dont find any other thread to post this.

Kashmir’s Fragile Calm: Tensions Take Backseat to Tourism
Kashmir's reputation as an idyllic vale has taken a battering over decades of separatist insurgency and brutal crackdowns by the Indian military. But, while tensions remain and the quest for justice continues, tourists are flooding back


Skiers walk in India's famous tourist resort Gulmarg, located just miles from the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan

Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/07/11/kas...#ixzz20OB4KmBL


The Saturday crowd at the Gulmarg gondola is a frenetic throng of saddled horses, kulfi stands, groups of students and camera-wielding teenagers. Most of the day-trippers eschew the option to ascend from the Kashmiri hamlet of Gulmarg by foot or horse, preferring instead to buy a ride on the wire to the electric green fields of the Khilanmarg plateau in the Himalayan Pir Panjal range. The metal pods sweep a steady flow of tourists over the tall pines and purple lupine, occasionally swaying to a halt that elicits whoops and whistles from the giddy passengers suspended hundreds of feet in the fresh mountain air.

Tourism is Kashmir is back in full swing, with visitors fleeing to the high valley to escape summer’s heat as a semblance of peace — or at least, less violence — has gingerly settled over these lakes and mountains. Indian operators in high-altitude getaways outside Kashmir — like Dharamsala, the Dalai Lama‘s retreat — which surged in popularity when the conflict was at its worst, are fretting about the loss of business as domestic visitors are returning in droves to the fabled destination. Last year, over a million tourists visited the region, and officials say they’re expecting more than twice that number in 2012.

(PHOTOS: The New ‘Kashmiri Intifadeh’)

That’s good news for a region grappling with the combustible combination of lots of young people and not enough jobs. Despite the packed gondolas and the flotillas of supine tourists being paddled around Dal Lake’s glassy waters, the valley’s internecine conflict is never really not there. Since the late 1980s, tens of thousands of people have been killed by a separatist insurgency and India‘s ensuing military crackdown. Civilian and military deaths have decreased tremendously since the conflict was at its peak in the mid-1990s, but tensions remain. On June 25, for instance, a 200-year-old Muslim shrine burned down in the capital, Srinagar, sparking protests against the slow response of firefighters that rapidly transformed into violent demonstrations against the Indian state as a whole. Even on uneventful days, security at the local airport is worryingly tight, and, with hundreds of thousands of Indian security forces still stationed around the region, camouflage trucks are ubiquitous on Srinagar’s clogged streets. A woman in Delhi, upon hearing about my weekend getaway to Srinagar, said that even though she grew up spending her summers there, she wouldn’t ever choose to spend a holiday in a place with so many gun-toting soldiers around. “I wouldn’t be able to relax,” she said.

She’s not alone. If Kashmir’s worst days are behind it, the painful act of facing atrocities committed during the bloody conflict still lies ahead. Last August, a report from Jammu and Kashmir’s State Human Rights Commission concluded that over 2,000 unidentified bodies, which the group acknowledged could belong to civilians, had been dumped in dozens of unmarked graves near the Line of Control between India and Pakistan. Residents had long been reporting to police that their family members were disappearing over the years, and for years the answer they got was that they must have slipped over the border into Pakistan to join the fight against India. “For years, Kashmiris have been lamenting their lost loved ones, their pleas ignored or dismissed as the government and army claimed that they had gone to Pakistan to become militants,” Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said last year as the organization called for an investigation into the deaths. Parvez Imroz, a lawyer whose advocacy sparked the official investigation into the unmarked graves, also has documentation suggesting that, statistically speaking, as many as 1 in 6 Kashmiris has been tortured, according to an article that ran this week in the Guardian.

(MORE: Will New Delhi Allow Its Troops in Kashmir to Face Prosecution?)

On the other hand, for all the justice still to be done, many in Kashmir would probably just as soon forget about it — or at least put off thinking about it for a while and enjoy the sun and ice-cold kulfi. In an April article in the Indian weekly Open called “Sorry, Kashmir Is Happy,” Manu Joseph writes that he met plenty of everyday folks in Kashmir who seemed perfectly happy with the newfound calm. “Trauma in Kashmir is like a heritage building — the elite fight to preserve it,” Joseph writes. “They want the wound of Kashmir to endure because the wound is what indicts India for the many atrocities of its military. This might be a long period of calm, but if the wound vanishes, where is the justice?”

In Gulmarg, a steady stream of hearty souls who prefer to walk trudge uphill under the gondola. Even this high up, it’s hot, and halfway up, my hiking buddy and I take a break under a tree to watch people pass. A student in her school uniform — a plaid tunic, long pants and a headscarf — spots us and bounds over. “Please, can I have some water?” she pants, clutching a few plucked flowers and a small portable radio playing a scratchy tune. I hand her a bottle and she tips her head back to take a long, cold gulp. “Where are you from?” she then asks, still breathless. “Canada,” says my friend. The girl’s eyes widen briefly. “Well,” she says with certainty and a whiff of pride, “I’m from Kashmir.” And with that, she hops back onto the trail, leans into the slope and runs up. If kids like her are in charge someday, things might just be O.K.

VIDEO: Kashmir: Taking the Revolution Online



Read more: http://world.time.com/2012/07/11/kas...#ixzz20OAdsViX

[sanjusky]

Government may clear all weather tunnel to Leh today
NEW DELHI: The Centre is likely to clear the first all-weather tunnel project connecting Kashmir valley to Leh on Monday, which will be built at a cost of approximately Rs 2,700 crore. Almost all top construction firms in the country and even a major foreign firm specializing in tunnel construction have submitted bids for this project. At present, Leh remains cut off from the rest of India for at least six months due to heavy snowfall.

Border Roads Organization (BRO), which will build the 6.5 km tunnel called Z-Morh on behalf of the highways ministry, has received bids from 22 firms. The final bidder will construct, operate and maintain the tunnel on NH1 (Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road). It will have a main tunnel and a parallel escape tunnel for emergencies.

Sources in the highways ministry said the Public Private Partnership Appraisal Committee (PPPAC) will take up the project for clearance on Monday and financial bidding for the project would start soon. "We had fixed August last week for laying the foundation stone and are still trying for this. In the worst case, it will happen in September," said an official.

The project will take five years to complete. To ensure that the contractor finishes it in time, the government will start making the payment only after the work is done. "The contractor will get the entire amount in installments since the project is being executed on (BOT-annuity) mode," said an official.

Earlier, Planning Commission had raised questions on the manner in which BRO got the project report prepared by a consultant. Plan panel member secretary Sindhushree Khullar in her letter dated July 9 to expenditure secretary R Gopalan said the project formulation was based on "very preliminary conceptual design" and the cost estimate was based on the experiences of the consultant on a European project. She had also highlighted how the cost was calculated in euro and later converted into rupees.

"We have addressed all issues. A European consultant will obviously work out cost in euros. But since this project will be bid out and all the best companies are eyeing this tunnel, cost should not be an issue. Whoever quotes less will get the project. This is a major project and has huge significance. This will bring major changes in the entire Leh region," said an official.

The ministry and BRO swung to action recently after Rahul Gandhi reportedly showed interest in this project. The 13-km Zojila Pass tunnel on this stretch would be bid out later by BRO.

http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/NEWS/n...p?newsid=19348

[anidel]

Centre sanctions Rs 1,248 cr project for Jammu and Kashmir


SRINAGAR: The Centre has sanctioned road and bridges projects worth Rs 1,248 crore for Jammu and Kashmir helping to open up its far-flung and remote areas for economic betterment and welfare of the people there.

This would enable the state to initiate 484 road connectivity works and construction of 50 bridges involving total road length of 2651.23 kilometres, an official spokesman said today.

"The Union Ministry of Rural Development has accorded clearance to the proposals of Jammu and Kashmir Government pertaining to road connectivity under Phase-VIII New Connectivity of Bharat Nirman, PMGSY and long span bridges involving over Rs 1248.15 crore," the spokesman said.

The approved grants include Rs 310.37 crore under Bharat Nirman Stage-I, Rs 851.92 crore under PMGSY Stage-II, Rs 21.02 crore under normal PMGSY (for border blocks), Rs 55.39 crore for long span bridges and Rs 9.45 crore under roads and bridges Stage-II, he said.

The spokesman added it will help to cover 10 habitations of more than 1,000 population each, 63 habitations with over 500 population each and 42 habitations each with more than 250 population.

The projects were approved following a request from state Chief Minister Minister Omar Abdullah to Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh for expeditious clearance.

Expressing his gratitude to the Union leadership, Particularly Ramesh, for the assistance to the state, Omar said, it will help in a big way to open up far-flung and remote areas for economic betterment and welfare of the people. PTI

http://articles.economictimes.indiat...ashmir-bridges

[sanjusky]

HCC wins Rs 1,534 cr contracts including 10.2 km tunnel in Jammu & Kashmir

NEW DELHI: Infrastructure major Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) today said it has bagged two major contracts worth Rs 1,534 crore in various business segments including one in Jammu & Kashmir for construction of a tunnel.

"The first order is for the construction of a 10.2 km tunnel on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line in Jammu & Kashmir...This contract is worth Rs 884 crore and will be completed in 60 months," HCC said in a statement.

The tunnel contract on the Dharam-Qazigund Section in the state has been given to HCC by IRCON International Limited, which is engaged in constructing the Udhampur-Srinagar- Baramula railway line, the company said.

This will be the second largest tunnel in India after the 10.96 km long Pir Panjal Tunnel between Qazigund to Banihal in Jammu and Kashmir, which has also been built by HCC. The tunnel is nearing completion.

"The second is an EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) order for expansion of a section of the National Highways-8 between Vadodara and Surat, which also includes the construction of an extradosed bridge across River Narmada," the company said.

The order, with a value of Rs 650 crore, is a contract from HCC Concessions, a step down subsidiary of HCC.

This contract was awarded to HCC Concessions by the National Highways Authority of India in April this year for the six-laning of a section of NH-8 between Vadodara and Surat, the statement said.

The scope of work also includes the construction of a new four-lane extradosed bridge across the Narmada River in Gujarat on a DBFOT (design, build, finance, operate and transfer) (Toll) basis, it added.

Work has already commenced on this project, and is scheduled for completion in 36 months.

The company claimed it has executed a number of India's landmark infrastructure projects.

This included constructing 25 per cent of Hydel Power generation, over 50 per cent of country's Nuclear Power generation capacities, over 3,100 lane km of Expressways and Highways, more than 200 km of complex Tunneling and over 324 Bridges.

HCC's other projects include the Bandra Worli Sea Link, Mumbai - India's first and longest open sea cable-stayed bridge; the Kolkata Metro, Farraka Barrage and India's largest nuclear power plant at Kudankulam - Tamil Nadu, it said.

The group, which comprises HCC, HCC Infrastructure, HCC Real Estate, Lavasa Corporation and Steiner AG in Switzerland, has a turnover of Rs 8,157 crore

[sanjusky]

JK CM Inspects Railway, NHW tunnels at Qazigund

Qazigund,Srinagar, September 10 (Scoop News)-Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Monday highlighted the importance of Railway link between Jammu and Srinagar to provide a dependable, modern and all weather communication system for the people of the State. "This and 4-laning of National Highway (NHW) from Lakhanpur to Srinagar are the prestigious projects cherished by the people for a long time", he said underlining the significance of these communication links in the socio-economic development of the State.



Omar Abdullah said that up to the mark road communication in a State like Jammu and Kashmir is all the more important for its geographical diversity, hilly terrain and remoteness. He said the rail communication to provide alternate and all whether commuting facility for the people and transshipment of goods including fruit and vegetables from the State is of significant economic importance to the Valley. He said both the projects of 4-laning of National Highway and Railway link between Jammu and Srinagar would help generation wide-ranging economic activities for the people in the State.



The Chief Minister this afternoon inspected the pace of work on both these projects at Qazigund, Galander and other places on National Highway and received presentation from the concerned agencies on the status of progress of the works.The Chief Minister inspected the Pir Panchal Railway Tunnel (T-80) connecting Jammu to Kashmir Valley through Pir Panchal mountain range of Himalaya. The Pir Panchal Tunnel is the longest rail tunnel in India located between the Banihal in South and Qazigund in North with 10.960 kilometers length. The tunnel is completely straight and runs almost parallel to North-South direction.



Presenting the status report of the project, the Railway Authorities told the Chief Minister that the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway project of Indian Railways has been declared a National Project and it envisages construction of large number of tunnels and bridges to be implemented in highly, rugged and mountainous terrains with most difficult Himalayan geology.



The alignment also crosses deep gorges of Chenab River. The 359 meterbridge over River Chenab will be the highest bridge in the world and longest span of BG Rail line with each span of 467 meters. The total length of the bridge is 1315 meters coming up at a cost of Rs. 5120 million. The main arch span of the bridge is 467 meters.



Enquiring about the status of jobs being provided by the Railway to the locals, the Chief Minister was told that permanent jobs are being provided in Railways to one of the family members whose more than 75 percent land has been acquired and so far 650 such families have been benefited. It was also given out that employment to the locals for day-to-day requirements is being provided.



The Chief Minister also inspected 9 kilometer long tunnel at Qazigund being constructed by National Highway Authority of India under the 4-laning of National Highway project between Lakhanpur to Srinagar. The concerned authorities presented the status of progress on the project to the Chief Minister. It was stated that 114 kilometers of 400 kilometer road project have been completed at a cost of over Rs. 590 crores. This includes stretch from Lakhanpur to Jammu including 15 kilometers Jammu Bye-Pass and 17.80 kilometers Srinagar Bye-Pass.



The work on 286 kilometer road length is under way in 6 packages. The major structures to be constructed include two tunnels of 10.8 kilometers length at Chenani and 9.2 kilometers at Qazigund. It also envisages construction of 12 shorter tunnels, 34 major bridges and 24 viaducts.The Chief Minister inspected the 4-laning of Qazigund Bye-Pass and 4-laning of Pampore Bye-Pass from Galander to Lasjan. He emphasized the need for fixing time lines for the completion of various works so that the projects are completed within the stipulated time period. He directed for fast tracking the works wherever required.

http://www.groundreport.com/Media_an...zigund/2947964

[anidel]

Omar announces ring roads for Srinagar, Jammu

Srinagar, Sep 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday gave nod for the construction of Srinagar and Jammu Ring Roads to decongest traffic and provide alternate communication for commuters.

Approving the prestigious and most required duo projects involving an expenditure of about Rs 3000 crore at a high-level joint meeting of National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Jammu and Kashmir State R&B Department here, the Chief Minister directed the NHAI executing agency for the projects to formulate the Detailed Project Reports (DPR) and put up the proposals to the R&B Department for finalization, an official handout said.

The proposed Ring Road project for Srinagar will start at Galandar near Pampore and meet the Srinagar-Muzaffarabad highway near Narbal junction in its Phase-I.

The road will be 4-lane with 6-lane future projection. Under the Phase-II of the project, a two-way road will start at Narbal and meet the Srinagar-Leh highway near Ganderbal.

The project is likely to cost Rs 1195 crore in Phase-I and Rs 448 crore in the Phase-II. The road length in the Phase-I will be 34.72 kilometers and in the Phase-II, 27.2 kilometers. There will be a Toll Plaza at Narbal junction.

In the proposed 4-lane road project from Galandar to Narbal there will be 155 culverts, two road-over bridges, two flyovers, five major junctions, 17 minor junctions and one Toll Plaza.

The two-lane road from Narbal to Ganderbal will have 135 culverts, 5 major junctions and 9 minor junctions.

The Chief Minister said that the projects should keep room for widening from 4-lanes to 6-lanes and from 2-lanes to 4-lanes to cater to futuristic needs.

The Jammu 4-lane Ring Road involving an expenditure of Rs 1355 crore will have one Toll Plaza in each of the homogenous sections. It will start near Vijaypur (Raipur) and meet the highway at Akhnoor where from it will go up to Nagrota Bye-Pass.

The road project will be about 60 kilometers in length. It will have 4 major bridges in Phase-I and 4 similar bridges in Phase-II while the number of minor bridges in Phase-I will be 5 and 4 in Phase-II. The number of culverts in Phase-I will be 215 and in Phase-II 102. There will be two flyovers in each package while as two overhead bridges will be constructed in the Package-II.

Under the Package-I the road length from Raipur to Akhnoor will be 43 kilometers and in Package-II it will be 16.9 kilometers.

Omar said that upto mark ring roads for the cities of Srinagar and Jammu are need of the hour and to cater to the futuristic requirements of the two capitals growing on faster pace.

The Project Director NHAI in a PowerPoint presentation explained the salient features of the proposed road projects and highlighted the main features of the projects. http://www.greaterkashmir.com/news/2...r-jammu-66.asp

[IndiansUnite]

As expected, India won the puerile case against the Kishanganga hydroelectric plant yesterday:

Hague court upholds India’s right on Kishanganga hydroelectric project

NEW DELHI, FEB 19:
In a significant development in an Indo-Pak dispute, the International Court of Arbitration at The Hague has upheld India’s right to divert water from the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project (KHEP) in Kashmir.

Reacting to the development, an official spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs said: “The award of the Court of Arbitration at The Hague has reaffirmed validity of India’s position regarding KHEP by allowing diversion of water from the KHEP as envisaged by India.”

Indus Waters Treaty

He said: “It highlights once again that India is adhering to all the provisions of Indus Waters Treaty.” The spokesperson also said the details of the award were being studied.

Pakistan has been objecting to the construction of the hydroelectric project on the Kishanganga river in Kashmir, which is called Neelum upon entering Pakistan.

Kishanganga dam dispute

In November 2009, Pakistan had proposed the establishment of a Court of Arbitration and the appointment of a neutral expert to resolve the Kishanganga dam dispute.

Indus Waters Treaty, inked between India and Pakistan, provides for the appointment of a neutral expert by the World Bank as a last option to resolve water-related issues between the two countries.

The Kishanganga plant, in Bandipora district of north Kashmir, is part of a run-of-the-river hydroelectric scheme that is designed to divert water from the Kishanganga river to a power plant in the Jhelum river basin.