Srinagar Mar 19: The Srinagar-Leh highway connecting Ladakh with the rest of India was Saturday thrown open in a record time of 73 days on trial basis.
News agency KNO quoted Director General Beacon, Lieutenant General Rajeev Chaudhary saying they worked hard to ensure the road is opened in a record time which would otherwise remain shut for upto five months totally cutting off Ladakh.
Chaudhary was talking to reporters after declaring the road open at Zojila pass today.
The Beacon workers cleared the snow at Zojila pass and other vulnerable points in a record time to ensure the road is through for vehicular traffic. The road is strategically important as it is the only surface link that connects Srinagar with the Ladakh region.
“Today, we have managed to declare the road open in a record time of just 73 days on trial basis. This road will otherwise remain shut for five to six months altogether and create lot of issues at strategical and economic level vis-à-vis Ladakh,” Chaudhary said.
He said road besides helping people, will facilitate the security forces in the transportation of defence equipment, weapons, other logistics to the troops deployed in Ladakh.
“Fresh defence supplies including oil, fruit, vegetables etc also would reach the troops in time now,” the DG Beacon said, adding that the opening of road will also help transport vegetables, fruit and other items to Ladakh region “and give fillip to its economic activities, which otherwise would remain choked for months together due to road closure”.