SPG arrives ahead of PM’s visit

Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir on January 13 to inaugurate the Z-Morh tunnel in Ganderbal district, a team of the Special Protection Group (SPG) arrived here on Thursday.

The SPG team will visit the venue of the inauguration of the Z-Morh tunnel and also take over the innermost protection ring of the VVIP security network. PM Modi will also address a public meeting at the inauguration site.

Minister for Surface Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari, J&K Lt Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah will be present during the inauguration of the tunnel that will make Sonamarg an all-weather tourist destination.

The tunnel will bypass the road from Gagangir to Sonamarg. This stretch of the road was prone to avalanches and heavy snowfall preventing winter tourism in Sonamarg called the Golden Meadow. CM Omar Abdullah said the tunnel would be a game changer for winter tourism in Kashmir. The Z-Morh tunnel is a 6.5-km-long 2-lane road tunnel between Gagangir and Sonamarg on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway.