Check air pollution in Chenani-Nashri tunnel: J-K assembly panel

Jammu, Mar 13 : Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly (JKLA) has recommended that a committee be set up to check air pollution levels in the Chenani-Nashri Tunnel on Jammu-Srinagar national highway.

The Committee on Environment (EC) of the Assembly yesterday also said that the panel should also check the mechanisms being adopted by NHAI, other concerned authorities to regulate the air pollution in the tunnel, an official spokesman said.

In April last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated to the nation, the country's longest road tunnel built on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, which has cut short the distance between Jammu and Srinagar by nearly 30 km.

The work on the 9.2 km-long twin-tube tunnel, which is part of a 286-km-long four-lane project on the highway, started on May 23, 2011 in the lower Himalayan mountain range, and cost Rs 3,720 crore.

The EC which met here under the Chairmanship of MLA Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami here, took up the discussions on various issues including status of air pollution in Chenani-Nashri Tunnel besides measures initiated by R&B department while executing road projects in the state.

It also directed the officials to take necessary steps to get NoCs from Forest department so that ongoing road projects can be completed on time.

The Committee directed the concerned authorities to expedite construction works on all ongoing road projects including PMGSY in the state to complete the works at the earliest thereby reducing the exposure of common populace to pollution from constructions sites, the spokesman said.