Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge. It runs through a mountain valley in Kashmir, a region that has been a hotbed of geopolitical tension between India, Pakistan and China for years. About this informs CNN.
The arch of the bridge rises to a height of 359 meters above the Chenab River, which is 29 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower. Its length is 1,315 meters, and the cost of construction exceeded 160 million dollars. The Chenab Bridge became a key element of the first railway route connecting Kashmir with the rest of India.
This infrastructure project is seen as part of the Modi government’s strategy for deeper integration of Muslim Kashmir into the Indian space. In 2019, the government revoked the constitutional article that gave the region autonomous status and reorganized it into two union territorial districts under the central government in New Delhi.
Along with the bridge, the Indian Prime Minister also inaugurated the massive Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla railway line, which is to connect the key cities of Kashmir with the national transport network. Projects like the Chenab Bridge are part of Modi’s vision to transform India into a developed nation by 2047. The government is actively investing billions of dollars in the modernization of transport infrastructure, in particular in difficult mountain conditions.
However, the expansive construction is causing concern among environmentalists. They warn that such initiatives could seriously damage fragile natural systems. Last year alone, the country faced several tragedies, including a tunnel collapse in Uttarakhand and two bridge collapses in Bihar. This raised questions about the quality of construction work. Despite these challenges, the Modi government presents the Chenab Bridge as a symbol of engineering prowess, national unity and India’s strategic presence in the volatile region.
