Snow-clearing ops on Manali-Leh road begin

Our Correspondent

KULLU, FEBRUARY 19

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) launched the snow-clearing operation on the 479-km Manali-Leh national highway at Darcha in Lahaul district today.

Border Road Task Force (BRTF) Commander, Colonel Uma Shankar, said the operation from Darcha to Baralacha was started today after the puja was performed by Brig MS Baghi, Chief Engineer, Project Deepak.

The BRO Commander said the operation from Gulaba to Rohtang Pass would be launched tomorrow and the snow-clearance work from Sissu to Rohtang would be commenced within a week.

The pass experiences heavy snowfall during the winter and the Lahaul valley remains cut off for about six months. The snow-clearance operation is launched by the BRO in March every year but this year, it is being done from February.

The Commander said dozens of dozers, snow cutters and excavators had been pressed into service to make the road motorable. The BRO had added new machines to their snow-cutting fleet.

As the snow-clearance operations will begin early, tourists will be able to go to the Rohtang Pass earlier this year. The BRO is expecting to throw open the Rohtang by April. The residents of Lahaul and Spiti will also be able to come to Kullu.