SHIMLA : Border Roads Organisation (BRO), a wing of the defence ministry, has declined state government’s request for allowing use of strategic tunnel for vehicles during winter as the Lahaul and Spiti district has been cut off road connectivity after heavy snowfall at the Rohtang pass.
Rohtang Pass, gateway to tribal Lahaul and Spiti district, of Himachal Pradesh, was officially closed for traffic on November 12 after the region experienced fresh bout of snowfall.
The pass will open for traffic in May 2019 after the snow melts.
After the closure of the pass, the people of Lahaul and Spiti had been repeatedly insisting the government and the defence authorities to allow tunnel for transportation twice a week.
However, the defence authorities have turned down the request citing that it was not feasible to allow vehicles through the tunnel, which is under construction.
“We cannot allow vehicles to ply the tunnel as it is unsafe for transportation right now, “said a defence official requesting anonymity.
Lahaul and Spiti deputy commissioner (DC) Ashwani Kuymar Chawdhary said, “The request has been turned down by the BRO for the second time.”
A fortnight ago the region experienced fresh bout of snow and the district administration had written to the state government seeking BRO’s consent for using tunnel during the winter months.
“District administration had written to the chief secretary but the BRO has declined our request, “the DC said.
However the BRO has agreed that the tunnel can be used in dire emergency, he added.
The tunnel that is under construction had proved to be a boon for more than 4,000 people who were stranded on the roads after sudden snowfall in September last week.
The stranded tourists and the locals were evacuated through the tunnels.