Road connectivity to Ladakh from Himachal Pradesh is expected to be restored by 15 March as the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has started snow clearance from both Manali and Padum.
Chief engineer (Project Yojak of BRO) Jitender Prasad informed Lt Governor of Ladakh Brigadier Dr BD Mishra (retired) that the Shinku-La Pass which connects Zanskar with Manali was kept open till 31 January.
He informed that snow clearance has already started from both Manali and Padum and efforts are being made to open the Pass for traffic by 15 March. The L-G reviewed clearance of snow on Singge-La and Shinku-La passes in the Zanskar sub-division.
The Chief Engineer informed that Singge-La Pass which connects Zanskar with Leh was opened for vehicular traffic on 2 March. He also informed that the Singge-La Pass was closed for a week’s time due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. He further informed that the snow clearance work on 70 km-long road was completed within a week’s time.
Jitender informed that the Singge-La Pass was kept open for vehicular traffic throughout the year, except for a week’s time due to heavy snowfall.
The L-G instructed the chief engineer to provide a detailed plan of their future plans for all the roads maintained by them in Ladakh. He also instructed Chief Engineer Project Yojak not to compromise on the quality of work and finish all the pending work within the stipulated timeline.