Jammu and Kashmir is going through remarkable transformation and is witnessing a boom in its socio infrastructural development. Billions of rupees are pumped into the landlocked region by Government of India to ensure it’s all weather connectivity with the rest of the country. Sonamarg tunnel on Monday inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Sonamarg area is one such ambitious project that will ensure connectivity between Ladakh and Kashmir across the year, notwithstanding the winter vagaries that triggers the closure of road for nearly six months every year.
Railway line between Srinagar and Udhampur is almost completed and is waiting for the final approval from the inspection team to chug the rail between Baramulla and Udhampur, therefore, connecting region with the rest of country. The ambitious National Highway between Srinagar and Jammu is also completed barring certain bottlenecks and changed the travel landscape of the region. In addition of these projects, there are various other important infrastructural projects going on in Kashmir that includes Baramulla -Uri 2 lane, Baramulla- Kupwara 2 lane road project and extension of railway line to South Kashmir districts.
Narbal to Rajouri highway and Narbal to Manigam highway expansion also deserve a mention here as all these projects have a vision and significance for both strategic and socio-economic reasons. Kashmir and Ladakh are strategically located at an important positions sharing it’s borders with Pakistan and China- both are hostile to India. While all the projects reflect India’s commitment to ensure the protection of its sovereignty from foreign powers and boost it’s defense infrastructure, the widened road connectivity, railway links would also boost the local economy.
For local inhabitants, it will have direct and timely access to reach the massive 1.5 billion people of India with products like apple, Cherry, vegetables, walnut and other perishable and nonperishable items as Kashmir is predominantly an agrarian economy. All these times, non-availability of road network would give stress to the producers and rely on prices not matching the international standards.
In turn, it would also boot the tourism sector as it is the second sector after agriculture that runs Kashmir’s economy. While the people of Kashmir would hope for good times ahead given the infrastructural boom, sustainable peace is precursor to it. Ever since New Delhi toughened it’s position against terrorism in Kashmir and downgraded state to two Union territories besides reading down provisions of Article 370 and 35 A, by and large peace prevailed.
Though the credit goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for handling the complex problem with simple formula, however, the internal political criss of Pakistan is equally relevant where civilian and military affairs witnessed a wedge following the ousting of Imran Khan as Prime Minister in 2022. Security apparatus needs to be vigilant all times in Kashmir, especially a strengthened vigilance over Line of Control to avoid infiltration bids from Pakistan. If infiltration is stopped, peace would sustain in Kashmir.
