Second trial: CNG bus reaches Rohtang Pass in over 2 hours

Tribune News Service

Mandi, July 23

The second trial run of the CNG-run bus on the 51-km Manali-Rohtang road was conducted successfully today. The first run was held on Tuesday.

The bus started from Manali at 8.30 am and reached the13,050-foot Rohtang Pass at 11am. It halted there for an hour and resumed its return journey at noon. The bus reached Manali at 2pm.

Manali SDM Jyoti Rana, who was onboard, said it took them two-and-a-half hours to reach Rohtang while they covered the downhill journey in just two hours even after stopping at Gulaba barrier and Marhi amid traffic. The second trial was also conducted successfully, she added. The SDM was accompanied by NGT Registrar Sheetal Sharma

The 27-seater bus with 27 passengers onboard reached the Rohtang Pass without any glitches.

The Transport Department acquired the CNG-run bus from the Delhi Government to explore the feasibility of plying an eco-friendly bus in the high mountainous terrain.

The state government was exploring options to run CNG and battery-operated buses in the eco-fragile zone after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) capped the number of vehicles going to the Pass. It was for the first time that a bus running on eco-friendly fuel successfully reached Rohtang.

The NGT has restricted the number of Rohtang-bound vehicle to 1,000 (600 petrol and 400 diesel) vehicles per day. The ban has affected the tourism in the area.

Commercial activities at the Rohtang Pass, Solang Nullah and Marhi have been banned, hitting the livelihood of thousands of people associated with the tourism-related activities at these places.

Nearly 90 per cent residents of nine villages located between Manali and the Rohtang Pass, solely dependent on adventure sports, have been rendered jobless.