Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while addressing the media at Gulmarg, expressed his enthusiasm over the inauguration of the Z-Morh tunnel, calling it a significant step for Kashmir’s tourism industry. He stated, “The opening of the Z-Morh tunnel will provide all-weather connectivity to Sonamarg and transform it into a winter sports destination.”
Omar Abdullah also highlighted that with the tunnel’s completion, the people living on the other side of Z-Morh, who previously had to migrate to safer locations during winters, will no longer need to do so.
The Chief Minister assured that all necessary security arrangements are being made for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Kashmir, where he will inaugurate the 6.5 km long Z-Morh tunnel. The project, costing over Rs 2,700 crore, includes the Sonamarg main tunnel, an egress tunnel, and approach roads.
“I will do my best to ensure that within the next five years, Sonamarg becomes as popular a winter destination as Gulmarg,” CM Omar added.
Prime Minister Modi is set to inaugurate the tunnel on Monday in Sonamarg, located in Central Kashmir’s Ganderbal District.