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

The world’s highest single-arch rail bridge is ready to attach Indian-administered Kashmir with the remainder of the nation by practice for the primary time.

It took greater than 20 years for the Indian railways to complete the bridge – over Chenab river – which ascends excessive over a deep ravine within the Reasi district of Jammu.

The showpiece infrastructure undertaking is 35m taller than the Eiffel Tower and the primary practice on the bridge is ready to run quickly between Bakkal and Kauri areas.

The bridge is a part of a 272km (169 miles) all-weather railway line that can cross via Jammu, finally going all the best way to the Kashmir valley (there isn’t any particular timeline but for the completion). Presently, the street hyperlink to Kashmir valley is commonly lower off throughout winter months when heavy snowfall results in blockages on the freeway from Jammu.

Specialists say the brand new railway line will give India a strategic benefit alongside the troubled border area.

The Himalayan area of Kashmir has been a flashpoint between India and Pakistan for many years. The nuclear-armed neighbours have fought two wars over it since independence in 1947. Each declare Kashmir in full however management solely components of it.

An armed insurgency in opposition to Delhi’s rule within the Indian-administered area since 1989 has claimed hundreds of lives and there may be heavy navy presence within the space.

“The rail bridge will allow the transport of navy personnel and tools across the 12 months to the border areas,” mentioned Giridhar Rajagopalan, deputy managing director of Afcons Infrastructure, the contractor for the Indian railways that constructed the bridge.

This can assist India exploit a “strategic purpose of managing any adventurism by Pakistan and China [with whom it shares tense relations] on the western and northern borders”, mentioned Shruti Pandalai, a strategic affairs knowledgeable.

On the bottom, sentiment in regards to the undertaking is extra nuanced. Some locals, who didn’t need to be named, mentioned the transfer would undoubtedly assist enhance transport hyperlinks, which might profit them. However additionally they fear it could be a method for the Indian authorities to exert extra management over the valley.

The railway line is an element of a bigger infrastructural growth – together with greater than 50 different freeway, railway and energy initiatives – by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authorities, which stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its particular standing and divided the state into two federally administered territories in 2019.

The controversial transfer was accompanied by a months-long safety clampdown which sparked large anger within the area. Since then, the federal government has introduced in a number of administrative adjustments which are seen as makes an attempt to combine Kashmir extra carefully with the remainder of India.

Ms Pandalai provides that whereas India’s plans for the area would naturally be guided by its “strategic goals”, it additionally must take “native wants and context” into consideration.

The development of the Chenab bridge was accredited in 2003, however confronted delays and missed deadlines due to the area’s treacherous topography, security issues and court docket circumstances.

Engineers engaged on the undertaking needed to attain the distant location on foot or by mule throughout the early levels of building.

The Himalayas are a younger mountain vary and their geo-technical options have nonetheless not been totally understood. The bridge is positioned in a extremely seismic zone and the Indian railways needed to perform intensive exploration research, modifying its form and arches to make sure the bridge may stand up to simulated wind speeds of as much as 266km/h.

“Logistics was one other main problem given the inaccessibility of the placement and the slim roads. Most of the elements of the bridge had been constructed and fabricated on web site,” mentioned Mr Rajagopalan.

Moreover the engineering issues, the railways needed to design a blast-proof construction. Afcons claims the bridge can stand up to a powerful “explosion of as much as 40kg of TNT” and trains would proceed to ply, albeit at slower speeds, even when there was harm or a pillar was knocked out.

Specialists say that enabling all-weather connectivity to the Kashmir valley may give the area’s economic system a much-needed enhance.

Poor connectivity throughout winter months has been a significant bugbear for the valley’s largely farm-dependent companies.

Seven in 10 Kashmiris reside off perishable fruit cultivation, in response to think-tank Observer Analysis Basis.

Ubair Shah, who owns considered one of Kashmir’s largest chilly storage services in Pulwama district in south Kashmir, mentioned the affect of the rail hyperlink could possibly be “large”.

Proper now, many of the plums and apples saved in his facility make their approach to markets in northern states like Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. The brand new railway line would give farmers entry to southern India which may ultimately assist improve their incomes, he mentioned.

But with out higher last-mile connectivity, he doesn’t anticipate a fast shift to railway cargo.

“The closest station is 50km away. We’ll should first ship the produce to the station, then unload it and cargo it onto the practice once more. It’s an excessive amount of dealing with. With perishables it’s a must to attempt to minimise that,” Mr Shah mentioned.

The undertaking can also be anticipated to spice up the area’s tourism income.

Kashmir’s spectacular vacationer spots have seen a latest surge in arrivals regardless of the remoteness of the area. A direct practice between Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar wouldn’t solely be cheaper, but additionally halve journey time, which may give tourism an extra shot within the arm.

There will probably be a number of challenges too.

Kashmir continues to be dogged by incidents of violence. A latest spurt in militant exercise – which appears to have shifted from the Kashmir valley to the relatively calmer Jammu area – is a selected trigger for concern.

In June, nine Hindu pilgrims were killed and dozens injured after militants opened fireplace on a bus in Reasi – the place the bridge is positioned – in one of many deadliest militant assaults lately. There have been a number of different assaults on the military and civilians.

Specialists say such incidents are a reminder of the fragility of peace right here – and with out stability, connectivity initiatives would go solely thus far in reviving the area’s economic system.