Banihal
Encyclopedia
Banihal is a town and a notified area committee in Doda district
in Jammu and Kashmir
, India
. "Banihal" means blizzard in Kashmiri language
.
It has an average elevation of 1666 m (5,465.9 ft). It is located some 37 km (23 mi) away from Qazigund of Anantnag district
on NH 1A highway.
(Devanagari: बनिहाल दर्रा) at 2832 m (9,291.3 ft) elevation on Pir Panjal mountain connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The Pir Panjal mountain range separates the Kashmir valley in the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains to the south. After closure of the Murree
-Muzaffarabad
-Srinagar
road on partition of India in 1947, Banihal pass was the only passage from Jammu to Srinagar after independence until 1956 when a tunnel was bored through the mountain. The pass is accessible only in summer and remains closed rest of the year due to heavy snow.
after the first Prime Minister of India was constructed in early 1950s and commissioned in December 1956 to ensure snow-free passage throughout the year. However, it remains closed for a few weeks in winter due to snow avalanches. It is at elevation of about 2100 m (6,889.8 ft). It was designed for 150 vehicles per day but now used by more than 7,000 vehicles per day.. Therefore a new wider and longer tunnel has been planned at a lower elevation.
Jawahar tunnel is maintained by Border Road Organisation (BRO) of the Indian army and guarded 24x7 by the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), which also monitors it by CCTVs as the tunnel is vital for the Kashmir valley.
and, when completed, would reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km (9.9 mi). It would also be less prone to snow avalanche as it will be at a lower elevation.
is India's longest and Asia
s second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal by 11 km (6.8 mi).
, Banihal had a population of 2,729. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%.
Doda District
Area11,691 km²Population525,000 Population density36/km2 Literacy18.5% Doda is a district of Jammu region in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, India...
in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu and Kashmir is the northernmost state of India. It is situated mostly in the Himalayan mountains. Jammu and Kashmir shares a border with the states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab to the south and internationally with the People's Republic of China to the north and east and the...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. "Banihal" means blizzard in Kashmiri language
Kashmiri language
Kashmiri is a language from the Dardic sub-group and it is spoken primarily in the Kashmir Valley, in Jammu and Kashmir. There are approximately 5,554,496 speakers in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the Census of 2001. Most of the 105,000 speakers or so in Pakistan are émigrés from the Kashmir...
.
It has an average elevation of 1666 m (5,465.9 ft). It is located some 37 km (23 mi) away from Qazigund of Anantnag district
Anantnag District
Anantnag is a district in the state of Jammu and Kashmir in north-western India. It is one of eight districts which make up the Kashmir Valley. The district headquarter is Anantnag...
on NH 1A highway.
Banihal Pass
Banihal PassBanihal Pass
Banihal Pass is a pass across the Pir Panjal Range at 2,832 metres maximum elevation. This mountain range separates the Kashmir valley in the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains to the south. Banihal pass remains covered by sonw during the winter. Jawahar tunnel under...
(Devanagari: बनिहाल दर्रा) at 2832 m (9,291.3 ft) elevation on Pir Panjal mountain connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The Pir Panjal mountain range separates the Kashmir valley in the Indian state Jammu and Kashmir from the outer Himalaya and plains to the south. After closure of the Murree
Murree
Murree city is a popular hill station and a summer resort, especially for the residents of Rawalpindi/Islamabad, and for the cities of the province of Punjab, Pakistan...
-Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad
Muzaffarabad is the capital of Pakistan Occupied Kashmir, Pakistan. It is located in Muzaffarabad District on the banks of the Jhelum and Neelum rivers...
-Srinagar
Srinagar
Srinagar is the summer seasonal capital of Jammu and Kashmir. It is situated in Kashmir Valley and lies on the banks of the Jhelum River, a tributary of the Indus. It is one of the largest cities in India not to have a Hindu majority. The city is famous for its gardens, lakes and houseboats...
road on partition of India in 1947, Banihal pass was the only passage from Jammu to Srinagar after independence until 1956 when a tunnel was bored through the mountain. The pass is accessible only in summer and remains closed rest of the year due to heavy snow.
Existing road tunnel
A 2.5 km (1.6 mi) long tunnel through Pir Panjal mountain under the Banihal pass connects Banihal with Qazigund on the other side of the mountain. The tunnel named Jawahar tunnelJawahar tunnel
Jawahar Tunnel or Banihal Tunnel, named after the first Prime Minister of India, was constructed for round-the-year surface transport by Mr. Alfred Kunz and C. Barsel between 1954 and 1960. The Jawahar tunnel has been operational since 22 December 1956. The length of tunnel is around , and it is...
after the first Prime Minister of India was constructed in early 1950s and commissioned in December 1956 to ensure snow-free passage throughout the year. However, it remains closed for a few weeks in winter due to snow avalanches. It is at elevation of about 2100 m (6,889.8 ft). It was designed for 150 vehicles per day but now used by more than 7,000 vehicles per day.. Therefore a new wider and longer tunnel has been planned at a lower elevation.
Jawahar tunnel is maintained by Border Road Organisation (BRO) of the Indian army and guarded 24x7 by the CRPF (Central Reserve Police Force), which also monitors it by CCTVs as the tunnel is vital for the Kashmir valley.
Proposed road tunnel
Construction of a new 8.45 km (5.3 mi) long Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel has started. The new tunnel is at a lower elevation than the existing Jawahar tunnelJawahar tunnel
Jawahar Tunnel or Banihal Tunnel, named after the first Prime Minister of India, was constructed for round-the-year surface transport by Mr. Alfred Kunz and C. Barsel between 1954 and 1960. The Jawahar tunnel has been operational since 22 December 1956. The length of tunnel is around , and it is...
and, when completed, would reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km (9.9 mi). It would also be less prone to snow avalanche as it will be at a lower elevation.
Banihal Rail Tunnel
Construction of a new 11 km (6.8 mi) long Banihal-Qazigund tunnel for the Kashmir railway line is nearing completion. The boring has been completed in October 2011 but the rail tracks have not been laid yet. It is expected to be completed by the end of 2012. Its elevation is 440 m (1,443.6 ft) below the existing road tunnel. Pir Panjal Railway TunnelPir Panjal Railway Tunnel
Pir Panjal Railway Tunnel is a railway tunnel located in Pir Panjal Range of middle Himalayas in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It has been constructed by the Northern Railway, a division of Indian Railway as a part of its Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project. The boring of the tunnel was...
is India's longest and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
s second longest railway tunnel and reduced the distance between Quazigund and Banihal by 11 km (6.8 mi).
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Banihal had a population of 2,729. Males constitute 57% of the population and females 43%.