NHAI sees delays in project deadlines amid slow pace of work on construction sites
Arteev Sharma
Jammu: The recent military flare-up between India and Pakistan has cast a shadow over infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir, with work on two vital projects—Jammu-Srinagar National Highway widening and Delhi-Amritsar-Katra (DAK) Expressway Corridor—coming to a grinding halt amid the sudden fleeing of labourers following cross-border tension.
According to the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) officials, work on several stretches of the strategic highway has been adversely impacted after a large number of skilled and semi-skilled workers fled the construction sites fearing escalation, after India carried out precision strikes on nine terrorist camps located across the Pakistan border and in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK).
“It was but obvious that everybody ran for their life. The situation was tense and uncertain. Labourers, fearing an escalation in the situation, returned to their native places,” Purshotam Kumar, Project Director, PIU Ramban told The News Now.
The officer, however, said, “The workforce is now gradually returning, but full normalization (of construction activity) will take some time.”
When asked about a possible change in project completion deadline, the NHAI officer admitted that the current circumstances are expected to cause delays in the timely completion of highway projects. “Yes, some delay in completion of works cannot be ruled out. We are assessing the impact, and revised timelines will be fixed after reviewing the manpower situation on the ground,” he said.
Official sources said that the treacherous Ramban-Banihal widening project under PIU Ramban is under construction. “Initially slated for completion on June 28, 2019, the revised deadline is fixed for August 2025. A total of additional bridges and eight numbers of additional tunnels have been provided to bypass the vulnerable slide-prone and shooting-prone stretches,” sources said.
Sources said, “The sudden fleeing of workers brought all major activities, including tunneling, slope stabilization, and blacktopping, to a standstill. Machinery stood idle, and construction companies working under NHAI have indicated likely delays in meeting deadlines.”
“Nine major vulnerable locations on the stretch comprise Dhalwas, Mehar-Cafeteria, Sitaram Passi, Marog-Digdole, Digdole to Panthyal, Panthyal, Mom Passi (Ramsoo), Sherbibi and Sherbibi-Chamalwas”, sources said.
Pertinently, the NHAI had planned four flyovers, five bypasses and nine tunnels Ramban-Banihal section to bypass all major “killer spots” to make the Jammu-Srinagar highway an “all-weather and safe road” for highway travelers.
A total of 14 tunnels are being constructed on the 79-km-long Udhampur-Banihal stretch out of which nine along Ramban-Banihal stretch to ensure all-weather road connectivity to Kashmir Valley. These tunnels are being constructed at Kelamorh, Marog, Khuni Nallah, Panthyal, Marog, Chamalwas, Marog to Digdol and Digdol to Khuni which are highly vulnerable to major landslides and shooting of stones.
Similarly, the impact of the conflict has adversely affected the work on the ambitious Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway Corridor. Construction activities along the Lakhanpur-Jammu-Katra six-laning Expressway Corridor have also come to a halt due to the migration of workers.
“As tension along the border shows signs of easing, authorities are now actively coordinating with contractors and labour suppliers to ensure the safe return of workers. Security along the highway construction zones has also been heightened to facilitate resumption of work,” said a NHAI official associated with the project, requesting not to be named.
The prestigious 670-km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, with approximately 143 km passing through Jammu and Kashmir, was originally slated for completion by March 2026. However, due to the current situation, the expressway work in J&K—divided into five construction packages (14, 15, 16, 17, and 18)—is also likely to face delay in its completion.
