Vailoo-Singhpora Tunnel all set for retendering

Anantnag, Jan 19: The long-awaited 10.3-kilometer Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel on NH-244 is set to be retendered after the initial tender was cancelled last year.

“The tender for the tunnel construction is expected to be re-issued later this year,” General Manager (GM), National Highway Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL), Raghu Nath Sharma told Greater Kashmir.

He said that the overall process would take some more time.

The prestigious project, approved by the Union Government in 2021, faced a major setback in 2024 when NHIDCL annulled the tender submitted by the sole bidder.

The joint venture of Transrail Lighting and Euro-Asian Construction Corporation (EVRASCON) had placed a bid of `2,387 Cr for the `3,253.58 Cr project.

However, the tender for the Authority Engineer was cancelled after technical evaluation and the main construction tender was scrapped in April 2024 due to verification issues with the contractor's Bank Guarantee (BG).

The cancellation left residents of the Chenab and Kashmir valley disheartened. But there is renewed hope as land acquisition stands completed.

“The land acquisition for the tunnel's approach roads—spanning 38.611 kilometers on both the Anantnag and Kishtwar sides—is now complete,” GM said.

An NHIDCL official said, “The project has received defence clearance. The first stage of forest clearance was granted in late 2024.”

“The second stage approval is anticipated by February 2025,” he said.

During the recent inauguration of the Z-Morh-Sonamarg tunnel, Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari indirectly mentioned the Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel as one of five planned tunnels on the Anantnag-Chenani corridor.

Although conceptualized four decades ago, the 140-kilometer Anantnag-Kokernag-Kishtwar road was only opened to light vehicles in 2009.

The road, which provides an alternative link between Kashmir and the rest of the country, is currently operational only in summer due to heavy snowfall at Sinthan Pass (3,797 meters above sea level).

The Vailoo-Singhpora tunnel, originating in Ahlan, Kokernag, and connecting to Chatroo, Kishtwar, aims to bypass the treacherous stretches of the route, ensuring all-weather connectivity and significantly reducing travel time between the two districts.

It is also expected to serve as an alternative to the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, reduce road accidents in the Chenab Valley and boost tourism and economic development in the region.

Local residents have long awaited the project’s completion.

Mushtaq Ahmad, a shopkeeper from Kishtwar, expressed hope, saying, “The construction of this tunnel has been a dream for us. If it becomes all-weather, it will ease our hardships during the harsh winters.”

Feroze Ahmad from Kokernag said, “The tunnel will improve inter-regional connectivity and give a much-needed boost to the local economy.”

The project, initially cleared in February 2017 after being taken up by the state government with the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH), faced multiple delays.

However, a Detailed Project Report (DPR) prepared by Rodic Consultants Private Limited, in collaboration with Getnisa-Euro Studios, was approved in 2021 under the leadership of Union Minister Gadkari.

Greater Kashmir has extensively covered the project’s status and its significance over the past decade.

Residents now hope that the retendering process will finally lead to the tunnel’s completion.