The snow clearance operation on the strategic 434 km long Srinagar-Leh Highway, the only road linking the Ladakh with rest of Jammu and Kashmir is going on in full swing, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officials said on Saturday. The highway was closed in December this year following heavy snowfall.
The BRO officials said that there is heavy snow this year as compared to last year, adding that about 30 feet of snow has accumulated on the road along Zojila pass while as about 10ft snow has collected near Sonamarg.
Talking to Greater Kashmir, a BRO official said, that both men and machinery have been pressed into service, adding that the heavy snowfall this year is likely to delay opening of the Srinagar-Leh road.
“We are facing a tough situation due to heavy snowfall and frequent snow slides along the road from both Sonamarg and Drass side” the official said.
He said that it is expected that the snow clearance work will be completed by next month” he said.
“We are witnessing the huge snow from Sonamarg area and it is taking extra efforts and time” he said.
He said that the toughest work for snow clearance always spans 30-km road stretch up to zero point of Zojilla from Sonamarg. Around 30 ft of snow has accumulated along the stretch.
He said that the road runs through mountains with a deep gorge on one side. The men and machinery have to take extra precautions to avoid loss of life and property while working on the road.
“We haven’t set any timeline for the road opening as of now” he added.
Pertinently, the Project Beacon of the Border Road Organization is responsible for clearing the road up to zero point near Zojilla from Sonamarg, while the Vijayak of the BRO clears the road from the Drass side.