Road link to Miyar valley restored

In a major relief for the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti, the remote panchayats of Chimret and Tingret in the isolated Miyar valley were reconnected to the rest of the country yesterday, after being cut off for 42 days due to heavy snowfall.

A massive snowstorm on February 25 had disrupted the vital 32-km road link from Udaipur to Khangsar, the last village in the Miyar valley. With vehicular access blocked, residents had been facing severe hardships in availing transportation and essential services.

Relief came as the Public Works Department (PWD) successfully cleared the snow-blocked road, restoring vehicular movement. This critical restoration enables residents to once again travel to Udaipur, the sub-divisional headquarters, and onward to Keylong, the district headquarters.

The road had been blocked at multiple locations due to heavy snow accumulation and icefall in three major nullahs — Shakoli, Bhingi and Sili. PWD workers braved extreme weather conditions to clear massive snow deposits and ensure safe passage. PWD Executive Engineer (XEN) Pawan Rana confirmed the reopening and commended the relentless efforts of the department in tackling the formidable challenge. He also instructed officials to conduct a thorough inspection of the road in the coming days to facilitate the early resumption of bus services in the region.