Light at the End of the Tunnel

After years of delay and uncertainty, the long-awaited Singhpora-Vailoo Tunnel project is finally showing signs of movement. Its completion could change how Kashmir connects, trades, and survives winter.

- Peerzada Mohsin Shafi

For years, the Singhpora-Vailoo Tunnel has lived more in conversations than in construction.

People spoke of it at tea stalls, in buses winding through the Banihal pass, and in homes that shivered through long winters.

It symbolized hope, a promise that one day, the people of Kashmir and the Chenab Valley would no longer be cut off from each other every time the snow blocked the roads.

That hope flickered back to life this week when the government informed the Legislative Assembly that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the Singhpora-Vailoo Tunnel is being revised to address technical requirements.

Once done, the revised report will be sent to the Public Investment Board (PIB) next month for approval.

The update came after MLA Payare Lal sought clarity on the tunnel’s status. His question triggered a rare moment of optimism inside the House. Officials confirmed that the National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDCL) is handling the revisions to ensure smooth execution once the project moves forward.