The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has taken on the difficult challenge of maintaining the high altitude Shinku La Pass (5,091 metres – 16,703 feet above sea level) operational even during winter months. This is because of the strategic necessity of providing year-round road access to snowbound Leh and other districts of Ladhak.

According to sources, personnel and machinery are ready to maintain the connectivity of this snowbound region with other regions of the state during winter. The road used to be blocked during winter months since it was unmetalled and dangerous to negotiate for drivers, especially in areas where there was snow.

Advertisement

All arrangements have already been made to maintain accessibility of the Shinku La Pass for transportation all year long.

As part of “Project Yojak”, the BRO had begun building a tunnel to connect Himachal Pradesh with the Zanskar Valley in Ladakh. The tunnel is expected to be complete in 2025. The goal of the Project Yojak is to maintain the year-round operation of the Manali to Leh route via Padam.

Currently, one must drive 101 kilometres on the Leh Road from Manali to Darcha before turning from Darcha towards Shinku La Pass to enter the Zanskar region.

In addition to opening the high pass to traffic in the dead of winter, the BRO is engaged in other significant infrastructure projects nearby. The BRO is working on war footing for the double-lane of the Nimu-Padam-Daracha roads which will be complete as soon as possible.

Connectivity between Leh via Padam with the rest of the country will be of great strategic importance after the completion of the Nimu-Padam-Daracha route. Travelling by this road is one of the toughest propositions since this avalanche-prone terrain frequently leads to sections which experience 15 to 20 feet of snowfall.

According to an official, work is also in progress on a tunnel beneath the Shinku-La pass, which would provide smooth traffic movement even during the busiest winter months. The entryway from Manali to Zanskar and Ladakh is the peak known as Shinku La. The 16,703-foot-high Shinku Pass is closed in October due to snowfall and often reopens in April.

• Mini bus Facility

To facilitate the residents of the Zanskar valley, Himachal Road Transport Corporation has begun operating Padam Mini Buses along the route.

A retired government employee used his funds initially to build the road.

When the passage at the high altitude is covered with snow and the temperature in Leh drops to -30 to -40 degrees Celsius, the Zanskar valley makes it almost inaccessible for locals to traverse the pass on foot. Many would lose their way or die during the trek.

After analysing the sig Chultim Chonjo, a retired government servant used his funds to construct the 17-kilometer road connecting Ramjak in Lahaul to Kargyak in the Zanskar Valley. Between May 2014 and June 2017, the road was built, aided a bit by the locals.

In 2021, Chultim Chonjo received the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award, for his contributions to society.

Later, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) took over the control of the route. It is now a metalled road with an 18-ton truckload limit.