Srinagar, Nov 22: Around 300 labourers from Doda, Nepal and other places, stranded in the Zoji La area of Srinagar-Leh highway following heavy snowfall recently, have been shifted to Kargil and are being looked after by the administration. In case the road is not reopening in a couple of days, they would be airlifted out of the landlocked area, official sources said.
 Reports from Kargil said the labourers stranded between Zoji La and Gumri had been shifted to Drass and Kargil and were being provided free food, shelter and heating facility by the administration. Indian Air Force and administration officials undertook an aerial survey of the entire area on Friday and met with the Chief Executive Councillor, Kachu Ahmad Ali, and other authorities at Kargil to review arrangements made for the stranded labourers.
  The Minister for Transport and CAPD, Qamar Ali Akhoon, accompanied by the deputy commissioner, Ganderbal, and the RTO, visited Zoji La yesterday to personally monitor the snow clearance operation undertaken on 16th of this month by the Project Beacon and Hemank. Efforts are being made to reopen the road in a couple of days to enable the stranded labourers and the Kargil-bound passengers camping in Srinagar to travel to their destinations.
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, the Officer on Special Duty, Aamir Ali, said the chief minister, Omar Abdullah, had approached the Union Ministry of Defence for a special service of IL-76 planes to airlift all the stranded labourers to the mainland. “However, the aircraft cannot land at Kargil and will, therefore, fly to Leh wherefrom it will ferry the stranded labourers to Srinagar and Jammu,” he said. 
 Meanwhile, Ali said, the IAF would be starting an AN-32 courier service three days a week (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday) between Srinagar and Kargil and once a week (Tuesday) between Kargil and Jammu besides a MI-17 helicopter service from Kargil to Zanskar to ferry stranded passengers. The Kargil-bound passengers camping at Srinagar have been asked to get themselves enlisted for the courier service with the Liaison Officer at Kargil House, Bemina, here.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Nov 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 23 Nov 2009 00:00:00 IST