Kashmir: India’s Chenab rail bridge could be a strategic game-changer

For the first time, the world’s tallest single-arch road bridge will join Kashmir, which is administered by India, with the rest of the nation by train.

The Indian Railways completed the bridge over the Chenab river, which looms large over a deep valley in Jammu’s Reasi region, in more than 20 years.

The bridge’s impressive network project is 35 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower, and the first station is scheduled to arrive quickly between the Bakkal and Kauri regions.

The bridge is a part of a 272 km ( 169 miles ) all-weather railway line that will pass through Jammu before eventually extending all the way to the Kashmir valley ( there is no current release date for the completion ). The road connection to Kashmir Valley is frequently cut off during the winter because of heavy rain, which causes delays on the highway from Jammu.

According to experts, the new railroad line will give India a competitive edge along the disturbed border territory.

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been a conflict point for years between India and Pakistan. Since gaining independence in 1947, the nuclear-armed neighbors have waged two warfare against it. Both assert complete control over Kashmir while maintaining merely certain portions.

Since 1989, an armed rebellion against Delhi’s law in the Indian-administered area has claimed thousands of lives and has involved a significant military presence.

Giridhar Rajagopalan, lieutenant managing director of Afcons Infrastructure, the company for the Indian trains that constructed the gate, said the rail bridge will allow the transportation of military personnel and equipment throughout the year to the boundary areas.

This will help India exploit a” corporate goal of managing any invasion by Pakistan and China]with whom it shares strained relations ] on the western and northern frontiers”, said Shruti Pandalai, a strategic interests professional.

On the ground, attitude about the job is more complex. Some citizens, who did not want to be named, said the walk would surely help boost travel connections, which may benefit them. They worry that it would give the Indian government a chance to have more authority over the canyon, too.

The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and divided the condition into two officially administered territories in 2019, is a larger institutional development that includes more than 50 different bridge, rail, and power projects.

The contentious decision was followed by a months-long safety crackdown that sparked widespread outcry in the area. Since therefore, the government has implemented a number of operational reforms that are thought to be efforts to bring Kashmir into closer contact with the rest of India.

Ms. Pandalai continues, adding that while India’s programs for the location would obviously be influenced by its” proper aims,” it also needs to take into account “local needs and context.”

Due to the state’s perilous terrain, safety concerns, and judge cases, the building of the Chenab gate was approved in 2003, but it was delayed and delayed.

In the early stages of development, technicians working on the project had to travel by foot or by donkey to the remote site.

The Himalayas are a relatively fresh mountain variety, and geotechnical details remain a mystery. The Indian railways had to conduct extensive investigation studies, modify its shape and arches, and place the bridge in a very geological zone to tolerate simulated wind speeds of up to 266km/h.

” Logistics was another significant challenge, given the remoteness of the location and the congested roads. Many of the components of the bridge were built and fabricated on site”, said Mr Rajagopalan.

Besides the engineering complications, the railways had to design a blast-proof structure. Even if there was damage or a pillar was knocked out, Afcons claims the bridge can withstand a” strong explosion of up to 40kg of TNT” and trains would continue to ply, even at slower speeds.

According to experts, providing all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir valley might provide a much-needed boost to the region’s economy.

Poor connectivity during winter months has been a major bugbear for the valley’s largely farm-dependent businesses.

Seven in 10 Kashmiris live off perishable fruit cultivation, according to think-tank Observer Research Foundation.

The impact of the rail link, according to Ubair Shah, owner of one of Kashmir’s largest cold storage facilities in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, could be “huge.”

The majority of the plums and apples stored in his factory currently make their way to markets in northern states like Delhi, Punjab, and Haryana. Farmers would have access to southern India thanks to the new railroad line, he claimed, which would eventually boost their incomes.

Yet without better last-mile connectivity, he does n’t expect a quick shift to railway cargo.

” The nearest station is 50km away. The produce will need to be delivered to the station first, then unloaded and loaded onto the train once more. It’s too much handling. You have to try to minimize that with perishables,” Mr. Shah said.

The project is also expected to boost the region’s tourism revenue.

Despite being so remote, Kashmir’s spectacular tourist attractions have recently experienced a surge in visitor arrivals. A direct train would not only be less expensive but also cut travel time, which could boost tourism even further.

There will also be a number of difficulties.

Kashmir continues to be dogged by incidents of violence. A recent spurt in militant activity – which seems to have shifted from the Kashmir valley to the relatively calmer Jammu region – is a particular cause for concern.

In June, nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured after militants opened fire on a bus in Reasi – where the bridge is located – in one of the deadliest militant attacks in recent years. There have been several other attacks on the army and civilians.

According to experts, these incidents serve as a reminder of the fragility of peace in this country, and connectivity projects would only go so far in reviving the region’s economy without stability.