Srinagar, Jul 30: The Centre has initiated key steps towards providing all-weather road connectivity to the border regions of Tangdhar and Gurez in Jammu and Kashmir, with consultancy work awarded for the proposed Sadhna Tunnel and bids invited for preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a tunnel at Razdan Pass.
The information was shared by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari in a written reply to a question of Member of Parliament Chowdry Muhammad Ramzan in the Rajya Sabha.
Responding to a query on all-weather tunnels for seasonally isolated border regions such as Gurez, Tangdhar, and Marwah-Warwan, the minister said consultancy services for preparation of the DPR for the proposed Sadhna Tunnel on the Kupwara-Tangdhar section of National Highway-701 had already been awarded as part of the government’s initiative to ensure all-weather connectivity to the Tangdhar region.
For Gurez, the Centre said a tender had been invited for consultancy services to prepare the DPR for the proposed Razdan Pass tunnel, which is expected to improve year-round access to the remote valley that remains cut off for several months during winter due to heavy snowfall.
However, the ministry clarified that Gurez and Marwah-Warwan are not located on national highways, and that the ministry’s direct responsibility was confined to National Highway infrastructure.
To maintain connectivity during winter, the government said proactive snow clearance operations are undertaken on National Highways as well as on roads entrusted to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to keep them open and traffic-worthy as far as possible.
On healthcare and emergency services for these isolated regions, the ministry said the Centre, through the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, was supporting the Union Territory under various schemes, while noting that the provision of healthcare remains primarily the responsibility of the Jammu and Kashmir government.
Under the Pradhan Mantri-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM), the Centre has sanctioned Block Public Health Units at Dawer (Gurez), Tangdhar, and Teetwal, along with a Primary Health Centre at Sheikhpora and a New Type Primary Health Centre at Bhagote.
The ministry said that during periods of complete road closure, the J&K government provides free helicopter and air evacuation services for critically ill patients from Gurez requiring treatment at tertiary healthcare institutions outside the valley.
These evacuations are coordinated through the district administration in collaboration with the Health Department.
