PM Modi inaugurates Kashmir tunnel

Udhampur April 2 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday inaugurated the state-of-art Chenani-Nashri tunnel -- the longest in India -- and took a short walk and a jeep ride inside the tube.

The tunnel that connects Udhampur and Ramban districts of Jammu and Kashmir bypasses a dangerous hilly terrain of over 30 km of the strategic Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

The 10.98 km long tunnel built at a cost of over Rs 2 500 crore is situated at an altitude of 1 200 metres.

It has traffic and fire control systems video surveillance FM connectivity and transverse ventilation systems.

In addition to saving nearly two hours of travel time the passage of traffic through the tunnel will result in a daily saving of Rs 27 lakh in terms of fuel used by vehicles.

The tunnel which took over five years to build will also bypass some 44 avalanche - and landslide -prone spots on the nearly 300-km-long highway.

--IANS
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