Sanjha Morcha

BRO bows to pressure, to reopen Rohtang

When the tunnel is completed, it will cut distance between Manali and Keylong by 46 km and travel time by 2 hrs.

Dipender Manta

Tribune News Service

Mandi, November 21

In the wake of the forcible entry by Lahaul residents into the Rohtang tunnel late on Monday, the BRO has decided to reopen the Rohtang Pass to traffic in a day or two. The authorities have started the snow-clearing operation.

Security has been tightened around the Rohtang tunnel following a major security lapse on the part of the BRO, which failed to prevent the local residents from entering into it.

Nearly 80 persons, including women and children, had entered the tunnel. However, they had covered nearly three-km stretch of the 8.8-km-long tunnel when due to the lack of adequate oxygen, many of them felt suffocated and fell unconscious, prompting the Lahaul administration to begin a rescue operation.

Two of the rescued were taken to Manali. One of them has been referred to the PGIMER, Chandigarh, while the other is recuperating at Manali Mission Hospital. Others were taken back to Lahaul.

Residents of Lahaul had been waiting to reach Manali via the Rohtang tunnel since Monday morning. However, the authorities concerned did not allow them to move till late evening. Irked over this, they forcibly entered the tunnel.

To prevent the recurrence of such incident, the district administration has set up a police post at the north portal of the tunnel to keep a tab on the movement of the locals.

Deputy Commissioner, Lahaul Spiti, Ashwani Kumar Chaudhari said the tunnel was not a safe passage for the common man because of the ongoing construction work. Besides, it lacked adequate oxygen. The people had been informed about it. The Deputy Commissioner said the tunnel was used only in emergency cases.

The Deputy Commissioner said people had been advised to stay calm as the BRO had started clearing snow on the Rohtang. The residents were earlier planning to open the tunnel on their own by hiring machinery. They had even started collecting funds. Since the closure of the Rohtang Pass on November 12, the residents have been facing difficulty while moving between Kullu and Lahaul.

Additional Chief Secretary, PWD, Revenue and Disaster Management, Manisha Nanda said the BRO had started work on the reopening of the Pass on Wednesday.

She said the state government had taken up the matter with the BRO to restore the Rohtang Pass for vehicular traffic to facilitate the people of Lahaul valley. The Pass was officially closed for winter due to the recent heavy snowfall.

Tunnel not a safe passage for commuters, for now

  • The tunnel is not a safe passage for commuters owing to the ongoing construction work. It lacks adequate oxygen.
  • Lahaul residents were planning to open the tunnel by hiring machinery and collecting funds.
  • Bowing to public pressure, the BRO has started clearing snow to open the Rohtang Pass.
  • It is expected to be opened within a day or two.