In the midst of the mighty Himalayas in Indian-administered Kashmir lies the world’s highest railway bridge.
The bridge over the Chenab River – 1,315-metre-long (4,314 toes) and 359-metre-high (1,177 toes) from the mattress of the river – will hyperlink the distant area with India’s huge railway community by offering all-weather connectivity.
On the peak of the winter, a big a part of the disputed area is minimize off from the remainder of India.
The bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower in Paris, lies between the villages of Bakkal and Kauri in Reasi district of the southern Jammu space of Kashmir.
Constructed at a value of $168m, the bridge is a part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Hyperlink challenge (USBRL), which can join the area’s foremost metropolis of Srinagar with mainland India by means of rail networks on which work began in 1999.
Engineering marvel
The arch bridge, product of 28,000 tonnes of metal, is taken into account an engineering marvel as it’s in-built an space vulnerable to excessive seismic exercise. The tough and uneven terrain additionally sees frequent landslides and harsh climate circumstances.
The 119km-long (73 miles) railway challenge contains 38 tunnels and 931 bridges having a mixed size of 13km (8 miles) to make the railway hyperlink attainable.
Previous to its development, the engineers needed to make a 26km (19 miles) strategy highway and a 400-metre-long (1,300 toes) tunnel to succeed in the positioning of the bridge.
Whereas inspecting the completion of the bridge final month, Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s railway minister, conceded that it was essentially the most troublesome engineering problem for the division.
“This bridge and the opposite tunnels have been troublesome as a result of this complete space is extremely seismic susceptible space. To strengthen it from any seismic exercise particular strengthening expertise has been used,” the minister stated.
Misgivings over the much-delayed challenge have been addressed when the minister stated the railway connectivity to Srinagar will probably be accomplished by December this yr or January subsequent yr.
Nature’s pristine magnificence acts as an ideal backdrop for this glorious engineering feat.
📍Chenab Bridge, Reasi- Jammu & Kashmir 🌁#NayeBharatKiNayiRail pic.twitter.com/QymhBHLxxQ
— Darshana Jardosh (@DarshanaJardosh) April 26, 2023
The bridge, official paperwork say, has been constructed to resist robust winds and high-magnitude earthquakes.
It took 20 years for 1000’s of staff and lots of of engineers to finish the feat.
“This challenge has been essentially the most daunting work undertaken by post-independence Indian Railways,” an engineer engaged on the challenge instructed Al Jazeera.
He didn’t disclose his title as he was not authorised to talk to the media.
“The completion of the bridge additionally reveals huge development in India’s engineering expertise,” he added.
Lengthy-awaited connectivity
There isn’t a direct rail hyperlink between the Kashmir Valley and mainland India.
The present railway line working by means of the valley carries native passengers from the area’s Baramulla district within the north to Banihal in Ramban district of the Jammu space.
The brand new rail bridge will join Kashmir Valley with Katra in Jammu, lowering the journey time by 5 to 6 hours from Katra to Srinagar.
It’s due to this fact a vital a part of the Indian Railways challenge to attach the valley with the remainder of India, which is up to now depending on highway networks.
The Srinagar-Jammu freeway which is the one highway connectivity between Kashmir and mainland India is commonly blocked on account of heavy snowfall throughout winters, landslides and avalanches. Visitors on the route will get caught for days, making individuals and commerce undergo.
The treacherous highway vulnerable to accidents has additionally claimed many lives. Final yr, at the least 648 highway accidents happened on the highway, resulting in 93 deaths, in response to the information from the federal Ministry of Street Transport and Highways.
Inch by inch, traversed the large Chenab!
Catch a glimpse of the timeline of the construction that stands tall now because the end result of a long time of improvement: the Chenab Bridge in Jammu and Kashmir. pic.twitter.com/3ItpylIltR— JAMMU LINKS NEWS (@JAMMULINKS) April 20, 2023
Native residents say that folks from completely different elements of India go to the positioning to see the bridge.
“This bridge gave employment to many locals who labored there for years. It has change into a vacationer spot,” Gulzar Khan, 36, a resident of Khurru village in Reasi, instructed Al Jazeera.
Javed Ahmad Tenga, head of the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industries (KCCI), a union of merchants within the area, instructed Al Jazeera the rail connectivity will propel the area’s commerce.
“The costs of transportation of products will cut back. It will profit the enterprise group. By highway, it takes a variety of time for issues to succeed in right here. It is going to strengthen the fruit enterprise as effectively,” Tenga stated.
Native apprehensions
Nevertheless, many Kashmiris concern the practice connectivity would assimilate the disputed area additional into mainland India. They concern the challenge would have an effect on the demography of India’s solely Muslim-majority area.
The fears stem from the 2019 abrogation of Kashmir’s restricted autonomy by the Hindu nationalist authorities of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and bringing it below New Delhi’s direct management.
Among the many many modifications the transfer introduced was permitting non-Kashmiris to completely settle within the area and begin companies.
“This railway will facilitate connectivity however we’re additionally anxious that there will probably be a rush of non-locals to the area. Anybody who needs to come back right here will board the practice,” stated Khursheed Ahmad, a resident of Srinagar.
Final month, the federal government instructed the parliament that 185 non-locals had purchased land in Kashmir whereas 1,559 corporations had invested within the area.
In 2020, just one non-local had purchased land within the area, in response to authorities information.
Being one of the crucial militarised areas on the earth, enhanced railway connectivity will even rework the safety situation with straightforward mobilisation of provides, troops and tools.
“The practice will assist in bringing logistics and shares for the military to Kashmir,” DS Hooda, former northern commander of the Indian Military, instructed Al Jazeera.
Kashmiri tutorial and political analyst Siddiq Wahid stated the railway connectivity would imply larger management over the area.
“It will assist economically little doubt. Definitely, ecologically trains are higher than roads. Connectivity will probably be an enormous help to New Delhi when it comes to management. I believe that’s their ambition,” he instructed Al Jazeera.
