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DAILY NEWS ANALYSIS

  • 07 April, 2021

  • 4 Min Read

Chenab Brridge- Final Arch Closure Completed

Chenab Bridge- Final Arch Closure Completed

Recently, Indian Railways completed the arch closure of the iconic Chenab Bridge in Jammu & Kashmir.

Key Highlights

    • It is the world's highest railway bridge and is part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project (USBRL).
      • The Project was declared as a Project of National Importance in March 2002.
    • This bridge is 1,315-metre long and is the highest railway bridge in the world being 359 metres above the river bed level.
    • The completion of the steel arch is a major leap towards the completion of the 111 km long winding stretch from Katra to Banihal.
      • It is arguably the biggest civil-engineering challenge faced by any railway project in India in recent history.

https://www.drishtiias.com/images/uploads/1617781847_image2.jpg

  • Unique Features of this Bridge:
    • Bridge designed to withstand high wind speed up to 266 Km/Hour.
    • Bridge designed to bear earthquake forces of highest intensity zone-V in India.
    • First time on Indian Railways, National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited lab established at site for weld testing.
    • Extensive health monitoring and warning systems planned through state of art instrumentation.

Chenab River

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  • It rises in the upper Himalayas in the Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh state.
    • The river is formed by the confluence of two rivers, Chandra and Bhaga, at Tandi, 8 km southwest of Keylong, in the Lahaul and Spiti district.
    • The Bhaga river originates from Surya taal lake, which is situated a few kilometers west of the Bara-lacha la pass in Himachal Pradesh.
    • The Chandra river originates from glaciers east of the same pass (near Chandra Taal).
  • It flows through the Jammu region of Jammu and Kashmir into the plains of Punjab, Pakistan, before flowing into the Indus River.
  • Important projects/dams on Chenab:
    • Ratle Hydro Electric Project
    • Salal Dam- hydroelectric power project near Reasi
    • Dul Hasti Hydroelectric Plant- power project in Kishtwar District
    • Pakal Dul Dam (under construction)- on a tributary Marusadar River in Kishtwar District.

Source: PIB


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