Srinagar: The Zoji La Tunnel, an upcoming strategic corridor that will provide all-weather connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh, is nearing a crucial moment, and engineers are moving towards a “successful” final blast around May 30.Work is going on at about four meters per day from both ends – Sonamarg (Baltal) in Kashmir and Meenamarg in Ladakh – using controlled drilling and blasting. Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) chief operating officer (COO) Harpal Singh told TOI that only 300 meters of the 13.155 km long tunnel remains to be excavated. The Hyderabad-based company is implementing this project.“The final blast will conclude the excavation phase, completing the main structure of the tunnel,” Singh said. He said the blast would indicate physical connectivity between Kashmir and Ladakh.According to Singh, this historic achievement will be achieved by reducing tunnel excavation to zero within 30 to 35 days. “The breakthrough will ensure expeditious construction of the remaining works including concrete lining, permanent tunnel drainage, installation of monitoring equipment, control building, underground transformer and (traffic) smoke control system,” Singh said.There are still two and a half years left for the tunnel to be completed. Before it is opened to the public, the breakthrough will allow construction teams and machines to move seamlessly between the two ends, streamlining work. “Teams and equipment can move through the tunnel without any hassle,” Singh said, adding that this would help in continuing the construction work in winter when surface movement would be halted due to heavy snowfall in Sonamarg.Officials said the tunnel will reduce the distance between the two ends (Sonamarg and Meenamarg) from 49 km to 43 km and the vehicle speed will increase from 30 km per hour to 70 km per hour.

SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Search teams were deployed across a mountain river in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Tuesday, the third day of the operation after a 25-year-old man is feared dead after he jumped into the water while fleeing attackers who were pursuing him while transporting cattle.cm Omar Abdullah It condemned the attack as “wrongful” and accused the attackers of “killing an innocent man”.“These people take the law into their own hands. Who has given them this right? Where is it written that whoever is transporting cattle is involved in illegal activities?” Omar told reporters in Anantnag. “They are hooligans. They want to run the law of the jungle here.”Police have identified the missing person as Tanveer Ahmed Chopan, a resident of Ukhral area of ​​Ramban. Chopan was on his way to his village from Jammu on Sunday, driving a pickup truck with a cow and two calves, when he was allegedly chased in two vehicles, stopped and beaten. Officials said he jumped into a drain near Ramsu while trying to escape and has not been seen since.Omar urged Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to ensure strict action. He said, “Those trying to disturb the peace should be dealt with strictly. This will send a message that there is no place for hooliganism and jungle raj in Jammu and Kashmir.”Over 100 personnel of NDRF, SDRF, police and local volunteers searched the lower parts of the river, focusing on large stones where bodies could be trapped. Additional troops joined from Banihal, Batote and Udhampur.Police formed an SIT and arrested four people under an FIR lodged at Ramsu police station.Anger erupted on the streets on Monday when residents blocked the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway near Meerkoot in Ramban for nearly four hours. Traffic resumed after officials including DC Mohammad Alias ​​Khan and SSP Arun Gupta assured a transparent investigation.Internet services, which were suspended for some time in Ramban to curb rumours, have been restored. Banihal MLA Sajjad Shaheen said residents of all communities have condemned the attack and demanded accountability and peace.

New Delhi: From April 15 (Wednesday), it will be impossible to extract toll revenue from overloaded vehicles or under-reporting on national highways. Toll collection agencies will collect higher user charges from overloaded vehicles only through FASTag, and they will have to record such vehicles and report the same on the government’s vehicle portal.The provision for reporting overloading on the vehicle portal is important, as it will enable enforcement agencies to impose penalties for violations of motor vehicle laws. As per the updated MV Act of 2019, the fine for overloading goods vehicles is Rs 20,000, and an additional fine of Rs 2,000 per tonne is also imposed for excess load.The road transport ministry on Tuesday issued a notification amending the NH user charge rules, saying that while overloading up to 10% will be permitted, vehicles with 10-40% overloading will have to pay double the normal amount, and four times that for more than 40% overloading.The ministry said overloading will be determined using certified weighing measuring devices installed at fee plazas. It added that no overload fee will be levied in cases where there is no weighing facility at the fee plaza.It added that the provisions would not apply to certain private investment projects executed before commencement, unless the concessionaires agreed to adopt the revised rules. In an official statement, the ministry said the amendments to toll fee rules are expected to improve compliance, reduce road damage caused by overloaded vehicles and promote safer and more efficient movement of goods on the NH.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a call from US President Donald Trump on Tuesday, during which the two leaders reviewed bilateral relations and the situation in West Asia.“Received a call from my friend President Donald Trump. We reviewed the substantial progress made in our bilateral cooperation in various sectors. We are committed to further strengthening our comprehensive global strategic partnership in all areas. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and stressed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open and secure,” PM Modi said in a post on Twitter.During the 40-minute call, he also discussed the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, after ordering a blockade of ships entering or leaving Iranian ports and coastal areas in the Gulf on Sunday following the failure of peace talks over the weekend. He also warned that any Iranian attack boat that challenged the blockade would be destroyed.According to US Ambassador to India Sergio Gore, the call concluded with Trump telling PM Modi, “I just want to let you know that we all love you.”It was the third phone call between the two leaders this year and the first since recent peace talks between Iran and the US. Earlier, they spoke on February 2 to announce progress on a trade deal and again on March 24 to discuss the situation in West Asia.