Citing hardships, locals demand faster work on Jammu-Poonch highway
Expected to significantly improve transportation for local residents and facilitate faster movement of the Army
With work underway on the strategic Jammu-Poonch National Highway (NH-144A), residents of Poonch have urged the authorities to expedite the project, citing the hardships faced during Pakistani shelling following Operation Sindoor last year.
Several residents had fled to different parts of the Union Territory after heavy shelling hit Poonch town, killing 14 people and injuring many others. Locals claim that some lives could have been saved had patients been transported to Jammu in time, but the absence of a reliable road forced them to depend on local health facilities, which they say lack adequate infrastructure.
During a recent visit from Jammu to Poonch, it was observed that several stretches of the road from Rajouri onwards remain without black-topping, slowing vehicular movement. However, tunnel construction work being executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is progressing rapidly.
On April 20, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, while travelling to Nowshera, inspected the ongoing work on the Sungal Tunnel project and reviewed progress at the site. Officials briefed him on excavation, structural work and associated road development.
The Sungal Tunnel, spanning 2.79 km across the Kalidhar Range, is expected to reduce travel time by 40 to 45 minutes. The project is likely to be completed by June 30 this year.
Apart from Sungal, two other tunnels — Kandi and Bhimber Gali — are also being developed to improve connectivity and ensure all-weather access in the region. The Naushera tunnel has already been completed and opened for traffic.
Harcharan Singh, general secretary of the SGPC in Poonch, said the Jammu-Poonch road project was progressing steadily but needed to be completed at a faster pace.
“This road is the lifeline for the people of Poonch, which suffered heavily during Pakistani shelling last year. While the government is working on the project, there is a strong demand that it should be completed within a shorter timeframe,” Singh said.
During the recent Assembly session in Jammu, Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary said the Jammu-Akhnoor four-lane project on NH-144A was at an advanced stage, while the remaining works were targeted for phased completion by mid-2026.
He had stated that delays in some packages were caused by the project alignment passing through densely populated urban areas of Jammu city, leading to traffic congestion, restricted working hours and frequent interruptions due to traffic regulation measures and canal diversion works.
Once completed, the Jammu-Poonch highway is expected to significantly improve transportation for local residents and facilitate faster movement of the Army towards areas along the Line of Control in Rajouri and Poonch.
