Kashmir Valley to be connected with railway by May
The Hindu NEW DELHI, March 22, 2013
At the prodding of the PMOs prodding, the critical Banihal-Qazigund rail section will expectedly be commissioned by May at the PMOs prodding, making the Kashmir valley accessible throughout the year putting an end to its isolation during winter.
The 17.7 km long section which comprises the longest rail tunnel in the country passing through the Pirpanjal Himalayan ranges that separates the valley from the Jammu region and the rest of the country was tested in the last week of December.
IRCON which is executing the project at an estimated cost of Rs. 1670 crore was expected to complete the other mechanical and electrical jobs by March. The commissioner of railway safety too was expected to give his clearance for operation within this stipulated period.
Taking cognizance of the failure to abide by the deadline, the PMO held a meeting on Friday, took stock of the situation and directed that the section be commissioned within the next two months--- April-May. The Prime Ministers principal secretary Pulok Chatterjee chaired the meeting.
The trial run of the first train in December tested the single broad gauge track of the 11.215 km long Pirpanjal tunnel, constructed at a cost of Rs. 1172 crore. It also has a three metre wide maintenance and emergency road route.
IRCON declared that it would be able to provide world class ventilation in the tunnel apart from installing safety emergency lighting, sensors for detection of obnoxious gases and fire and linear fire alarm systems by March notwithstanding the severe winter.
This deadline to connect Qazigund the last station in the valley with Banihal in the Jammu region opening up Kashmir to the rest of the country has been missed.
When commissioned, this section will allow connectivity to passenger trains right upto Baramulla via Srinagar.
The 345 km long Jammu-Srinagar-Baramulla section will get operational in entirety in 2017 when Banihal is connected with Katra.
Till then visitors will have use the road route upto Banihal and take the rail route that beats the weather condition providing an all weather connectivity.
The PMO also set deadlines for completion of strengthening of power transmission and distribution networks in Jammu and Kashmir by March 2014, while directing that the 44 KW Chutak Hydro Electric Power project in Kargil by October.
Similarly the deadline for 45 MW Nimoo Bazgo Hydro Electric Project in Ladakh is expected to go critical by December.
Banihal-Qazigund rail-link to start by May
KT NEWS SERVICE 22 March 2013
NEW DELHI, Mar 22: In a major step towards connecting Kashmir with rest of the country by rail, the long-awaited Banihal-Qazigund section will be commissioned within the next two months, providing an all-weather means of transport to the valley.
This decision was taken at a high-level meeting held by the PMO to review progress of various infrastructure projects of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting chaired by Pulok Chatterjee, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, decided that the Banihal- Quazigund section of the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail line will be be commissioned in April-May this year.
The rail link, which has strategic and socio-economic significance, reflects technological excellence as it includes a 11.215-km-long tunnel, the longest rail tunnel which reduces the distance between Quazigund and Banihal by 17 km compared to road.
The rail tunnel will facilitate all-weather connectivity between Jammu and Kashmir, which gets disconnected by road during winters due to snowfall.
The tunnel is equipped with the state-of-the-art air quality monitoring system, ventilation system, communication system, fire fighting system and emergency rescue system in case of emergency.
The tunnels average elevation at 1,760 m (5,770 ft) is 440 m (1,440 ft) beneath the existing road tunnel.
The Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is Indias longest and Asias third longest railway tunnel. Chinas Taihang Tunnel (28 km) is the longest and Wushaoling Tunnel (21 km) the second longest.
Till the Udhampur-Banihal section is constructed by 2018, people can travel from Baramulla in Kashmir to Banihal in Jammu by train and then take road to catch train again in Udhampur for rest of the country.
At the meeting in the PMO which was attended by secretaries of various central ministries and chief secretary of Jammu and Kashmir, it was also decided that power transmission and distribution network strengthening works in the state would be completed by March, next year.
The meeting also decided that the 44 MW Chutak Hydro Electric Project in Kargil will be fully commissioned by October, 2013. The project, executed by the National Hydro Power Corporation, was initially to be commissioned in August 2011.
Another crucial power plant in Ladakhthe 45 MW Nimoo-Bazgo Hydro Electric Plantwill be completed by December this year, it was decided.
The project is one of Indias high altitude stations located at a height of 11,000 ft in Alchi village, 70 km from Leh.
Secretaries of the central government have been asked to intensively monitor these projects, the PMO statement said.
The PMO is geared to convene a series of meetings in the near future to ensure that the timelines are met, it said.
New Delhi, Apr 16 : India's first passenger train that chugged out of Bori Bunder in Bombay to Thane 160 years ago was relived by Internet search engine giant Google on its homepage today.
In the doodle, the locomotive train replaces the first 'O' of the word Google.
The idea of a railway to connect Bombay with Thane, Kalyan and with the Thal and Bhore Ghats first struck George Clark, the then chief engineer of the Bombay government, during a visit to Bhandup in 1843.
The first railway ran over a stretch of 21 miles from Bombay to Thane. The formal inauguration ceremony on April 16, 1853 saw 14 railway carriages, carrying about 400 guests, leave Bori Bunder at 3.30 pm amid loud applause and to the salute of 21 guns.
Doodles are the fun, surprising, and sometimes spontaneous changes that are made to the Google logo to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists, pioneers, and scientists.
On February 8, the Google doodle commemorative logo paid tribute to ghazal king Jagjit Singh on his 72nd birthday. On the occasion of 64th Republic Day, Google doodled a Royal Bengal tiger on its India homepage.
A group of Googlers get together regularly to brainstorm and decide which events will be celebrated with a doodle. The ideas for the doodles come from numerous sources including Googlers and Google users.
The doodle selection process aims to celebrate interesting events and anniversaries that reflect Google's personality and love for innovation.
อินเดียกับบังคลาเทศจะสร้างทางรถไฟเชื่อมกัน ระหว่าง Akhaura ของบังคลาเทศกับรัฐตริปุระของอินเดีย
India, Bangladesh agree on northeastern rail link
By K.R. Chowdhury for Khabar South Asia in Dhaka
April 16, 2013
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