Manali-Leh highway reopens after 5 months

Tribune News Service

Mandi, May 18

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened Manali-Leh highway on Monday for vehicular movement. The BRO had started snow-clearance work on the strategically important road in February.

The road is used to supply essential material to the Army in the border areas of Ladakh, close to China border.

Despite acute shortage of labourers due to Covid-19 pandemic, the BRO, in comparison to the previous years, has cleared the road much earlier this year.

According to Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul Spiti, KK Saroch, a BRO team has moved ahead from the Baralacha Pass from Lahaul side and another team of the organisation is moving towards Lahaul Spiti from the Leh side to connect the Baralacha Pass for traffic movement.

Saroch though said, "The final confirmation of the restoration of road from the BRO is still awaited."

Meanwhile, IANS quoted a BRO official as saying, “Traffic between Manali and Leh was resumed. This time it was reopened much earlier.”

The official said the snow was 30-35 feet high in some stretches close to the Baralacha Pass, posing a big challenge to those clearing the snow.

The work to repair the entire 475-km stretch, which links the Himachal Pradesh tourist city with Leh in Jammu and Kashmir, was completed.

The Manali-Leh highway winds its way through the Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet), Baralacha Pass (16,020 feet), Lachlungla Pass (16,620 feet) and Tanglangla (17,480 feet). – With inputs from IANS