The snow -clearing operation in full swing on the Manali-Rohtang-Keylong highway on Wednesday. Photo by writer

MC Thakur

Manali, November 22

A week after heavy snowfall blocked the Manali-Rohtang-Keylong highway, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) today cleared the stretch. Vehicles are expected to cross Rohtang on Thursday.According to an official of the BRO, snow has been cleared from both sides of the 13,050-ft Rohtang Pass, the gateway to Lahaul-Spiti.He said the surface was still slippery due to the presence of a thick layer of ice. Till the filing of this report, no vehicle had crossed the Rohtang Pass. A large number of people in Lahaul valley are eagerly waiting for the authorities to open the road.Koksar rescue post in-charge Pawan Kumar said although snow had been cleared, the road was still slippery.He said 46 persons, who were waiting for the road to open at Koksar, were being provided food and shelter.“We have been asked to send vehicles from Lahaul to Koksar first. Today, we checked the road condition and found a number of frozen stretches between Koksar and Rohtang,” he said.The BRO’s 38 Border Road Task Force commander Col Arvind Awasthi said the highway would not be opened to the general public, but in case of an emergency, vehicles would be allowed to pass.According to officials in Lahaul, first preference would be given to those who were stuck in the valley and only then vehicles from Manali would be allowed to come towards Rohtang.Many people who wanted to go to Lahaul from Manali had booked taxis to reach Lahaul via Kishtwar route which takes about two days.Meanwhile, the Manali administration is not letting tourists go beyond Kothi.A truck driver, Rajender Kumar, who resides in Mandi district, was coming from Leh towards Keylong when he was trapped in blizzards at Bharatpur on Thursday. He spent two nights in the truck and eventually decided to walk over thick snow towards Keylong.After walking for about 25 km, he reached Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment at Patseo where he was given shelter.A rescue team from Keylong went to Patseu today to bring Rajender to Keylong. He and other stranded persons are expected to cross Rohtang on Thursday.