Vehicles not allowed beyond Kothi towards Rohtang

Abhinav Vashisht

KULLU, NOVEMBER 22

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) barrier at Gulaba will be shifted to Kothi and no vehicle would be allowed towards the Rohtang Pass beyond Kothi till further orders.

Kullu DC today issued orders under Section 115 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988. The SDO, Manali, has reported that the road from Kothi to Marhi is not suitable for vehicular movement due to extreme cold weather.

The DC said as per the report received from the Commanding Officer, 70 Road Construction Company (RCC), in view of the bad weather conditions following intermittent snowfall, extremely low temperature and slippery road conditions, the road from Kothi to Rohtang has been closed for movement of vehicles.

The road is covered with frost in many places. The DC has passed these orders in view of public safety.

Generally, the Rohtang Pass is officially closed for traffic after November 15 but at times the vehicles ply up to there if there is no accumulation of snow and the road is cleared by the BRO. However, the movement of traffic is regulated in view of public safety. Because of its high altitude, the Pass is prone to sudden snowfall which could pose a serious threat to the lives of commuters.

The Rohtang region is a major tourist attraction because various adventure activities are held in the snow-laden area. The pristine beauty of the region attracts a large number of visitors. However, to ensure the safety of the visitors, the administration has now halted vehicle movement beyond Kothi. There is abundant snow in Solang Nala near Manali where tourists can be seen frolicking and enjoying various adventure activities.

Earlier, the Lahaul valley remained cut off from the state for about 6 months during winters due to accumulation of snow at the Rohtang Pass. The only way in and out of the valley was through the helicopter services provided by the state government. Now with the completion of Rohtang tunnel, commuters are able to visit the valley almost round the year as they don’t have to cross the mighty pass.

#Environment #Kullu #Manali #National Green Tribunal NGT #rohtang