Srinagar, Indian-Occupied Kashmir (Agencies): Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the world’s highest railway bridge, the Chenab Bridge, on Friday, marking a significant milestone in India’s infrastructure development. The bridge, an ambitious engineering feat, spans a mountain valley in Indian-Occupied Kashmir and comes just weeks after a deadly tourist massacre in the region triggered a brief military conflict between India and Pakistan.
The Chenab Bridge stands 359 meters (1,180 feet) above the Chenab River, making it 29 meters (95 feet) taller than the Eiffel Tower. The bridge, which has been decades in the making, cost over $160 million and stretches 1,315 meters (4,314 feet). It is part of the first railway link between Kashmir and the rest of India, a project aimed at improving connectivity in the region.
Constructed using over 28,000 tonnes of steel, the bridge is designed to last 120 years and withstand wind speeds of up to 266 km/h and seismic tremors up to magnitude 8. Engineers faced significant challenges stabilizing the slopes in the fractured Himalayan geology, requiring advanced construction techniques such as cement grouting, steel reinforcement, and deep excavations.
Modi’s visit to Indian-Occupied Kashmir was his first since the April conflict between India and Pakistan, which saw four days of missile exchanges, drone strikes, and artillery shelling. India blamed the tourist massacre on Pakistan, a claim Islamabad denies. The Himalayan region of Kashmir remains one of the most militarized zones in the world, with India, Pakistan, and China all claiming portions of the territory.
The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link project, also inaugurated by Modi, aims to integrate Muslim-majority Kashmir with the rest of India. Since revoking Kashmir’s autonomous status in 2019, Modi’s government has pushed for greater infrastructure development in the region, arguing that it will promote stability, economic growth, and national unity.
The Chenab Bridge is being hailed as a major achievement for Modi’s administration, which has invested billions in upgrading India’s transport network. However, environmentalists have raised concerns about the impact of heavy construction on the fragile Himalayan ecosystem, warning that the region is already experiencing the effects of climate change.
As India moves forward with its ambitious infrastructure projects, the Chenab Bridge stands as a symbol of engineering excellence and political strategy, reshaping the landscape of Indian-Occupied Kashmir while reinforcing New Delhi’s control over the disputed region.