After snow clearance and trial run, the strategic 434-kilometre Srinagar-Leh Highway reopened for one-way traffic on Friday as hundreds of vehicles carrying essential items left for Kargil and Leh.
This year, due to warmer temperatures and less snowfall, the strategic Zojila Pass that connects Ladakh to the rest of the country via roadlink, was thrown open by the Border Road Organisation (BRO) last week after just 73 days compared to average of 135 days in previous years .
Located at an altitude of 11,650 feet, Zojila provides vital link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh and is the key to operational preparedness of the Armed Forces. The pass normally closes by end-November every year with the onset of winters when the temperatures dip to subzero degrees and opens only by mid-April the next year.
“The renewed focus on infrastructure development of border areas required keeping the closure of ZojiLa Pass to the minimum. It was kept open till January 4, 2022, and snow clearance operations recommenced on February 15 and was carried out under Projects Beacon and Vijayak of the BRO. After sustained efforts by BRO, the connectivity across Zojila Pass was initially established on March 3 and after that, improvement of road surface was carried out for safe passage of vehicles,” a defence spokesman had said after Zojila was opened.
The opening of road in the March will also give boost to the tourism sector. “We are hopeful the earlier opening of the highway will see rise in the number of tourists who prefer to explore Ladakh by road, especially after the significant drop of Covid cases in the country,” a tour operator from Ladakh said.
{{/usCountry}}The opening of road in the March will also give boost to the tourism sector. “We are hopeful the earlier opening of the highway will see rise in the number of tourists who prefer to explore Ladakh by road, especially after the significant drop of Covid cases in the country,” a tour operator from Ladakh said.
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