Consider the following statements. I) The Banihal Qazigund Tunnel renamed as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel.

Question

Consider the following statements.

I) The Banihal Qazigund Tunnel renamed as Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Tunnel.

II) It is India's longest transportation railway tunnel measuring 11.2 km long.

Choose the correct option.

1. A. Only I is correct
2. B. Only II is correct (Correct answer)
3. C. Both I and II are correct
4. D. Neither I nor II is correct

Correct Answer

Option B — Only II is correct

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is Only II is correct.

Key Points

• Statement II is correct. The Banihal-Qazigund railway tunnel, also known as the Pir Panjal tunnel, measures about 11.2 km and is India's longest transportation railway tunnel.
• Statement I is incorrect. It is the Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel — a separate 8.45 km highway tunnel on NH-44 — that carries the name Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel. The railway tunnel was not renamed.
• The railway tunnel forms part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) and provides all-weather rail access to the Kashmir valley.
• Both tunnels pass beneath the Pir Panjal range, replacing the older route over the Jawahar Tunnel.

Additional Information

• Statement I fails because the tunnel renamed after Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee in 2019 is the Chenani-Nashri tunnel (about 9.28 km) on the Jammu-Srinagar highway, not the Banihal-Qazigund one.
• Three J&K tunnels are routinely confused in exam options:
  • Pir Panjal / Banihal-Qazigund rail tunnel — about 11.2 km, India's longest transport tunnel when opened
  • Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee (Chenani-Nashri) road tunnel — about 9.28 km
  • Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel — about 8.45 km, opened in 2021
• For comparison, the Atal Tunnel at Rohtang (about 9.02 km) is the longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet.