The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, arrived in Cashmiro controlled by India on Friday, his first visit to the Himalayas region played from a conflict with the archirrival Pakistan last month, and opened a strategic rail line.
Modi is launching a series of projects worth billions of dollars for the territory of occupied Muslim majority.
India and Pakistan fought against an intense four -day conflict last month for an attack at the Pehalgam de Cashmira busy, with New Delhi blaming Islamabad without evidence. This was the worst confrontation of the two countries since 1999, before a high fire was agreed on May 10.
Its office transmits images of Modi into a point of view for the Chenab bridge, a stretch of steel and concrete of 1,315 meters long (4,314 feet long) that connects two mountains with an arc 359 meters above the river below.
“In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, Chenab’s rail bridge will improve connectivity,” said Hindu nationalist leader in a position on social networks before his visit.
Modi crossed the bridge stirring a giant Indian flag to declare it formally open for rail traffic shortly after his arrival.
Nueva Delhi calls Chenab the “highest rail arch bridge in the world.” While several road bridges and pipes are higher, Guinness World Records confirmed that Chenab triumphs over the highest previous rail bridge, the Najiehe in China.
The new Udhampur-Srinagar-Barramulla railway of 272 kilometers (169 miles), with 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, has been built “with the aim of transforming regional mobility and boosting socioeconomic integration,” says Modi’s office.
The bridge will facilitate the movement of people and goods, as well as troops, which was previously only possible through treacherous and air mountain roads.
The railroad “guarantees all meteorological connectivity” and “will boost spiritual tourism and create opportunities for livelihoods,” said Modi.
The railway line is expected to reduce the travel time between the city of Katra in the Jammu region Hindu and Srinagar, the main city of the Muslim majority kept Cashmira, about three hours.
More than 70 people died in the missile, drones and artillery fire during the conflict last month.
Cashmiring fighters controlled by India have fought an insurgency of 35 years that demands independence from the territory or its merger with Pakistan.
