Defence
Kashmir-Ladakh Connectivity: BRO Reopens Three Key Snow Blocked Passes In Record Time
Army vehicles cross through a snow bound Zoji La pass (Representative Image). (via Getty Images).
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened all three highways to Ladakh in record time, reports the Times of India.
All highways connecting Ladakh to the rest of the country get closed to vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall for multiple months. Furthermore, these highways are critical for the Armed forces to resupply their troops.
The route to Ladakh from Srinagar Kashmir — NH-1A — passing from the 11,540 ft high Zojila Pass, opened on 16 March after 68 days. A tunnel under Zojila is also under construction, which will allow year-round movement of traffic.
The people of Ladakh will greatly benefit from this, as they are often cut off from the rest of the country during winters.
As for the Leh-Manali Highway, it has just opened after 138 days, providing another crucial lifeline to Ladakh.
Previously, this route opened to traffic only in May or June. However, with the construction of the Atal Tunnel in 2019, the 427-km-long Leh-Manali Highway can now be accessed much earlier in the year.
Finally, the under-construction Nimmu-Padam-Darbha (NPD) road opened after 55 days on Thursday (23 March), providing the third axis to Leh. This is an all-weather route that allows the forces to resupply their troops in all weather conditions, and is a major relief for the civilians as well.
The early clearing of these highways will allow the Armed forces to complete the rotation of the troops easily, instead of doing it in a limited time span of 3-4 months.
Civilians will also benefit from the early opening, as after the closure of roads, air travel is the only option available to travel in and out of Ladakh. With the opening of roads, they can utilize the cheaper travel option of road travel as well.
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