Tribune News Service,Mandi, December 16

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) today connected Manali in Kullu district with Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district.The tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti was cut off from the rest of the world after snowfall on December 10. The BRO started the snow-clearance operation on both sides of the 13,050-foot high Rohtang Pass on Saturday.Col KP Rajendra Kumar, Commander, 38 Border Road Task Force (BRTF), Manali, said they had restored the Manali-Keylong road for 4×4 vehicles today. He said they had encountered a wall of nearly 10 feet of snow on the Rohtang Pass. The snow accumulation was 5-6 feet on the Koksar side. Strong winds hampered the snow-clearance operation.More than two dozen jawans worked overtime under minus 10 degree temperature to clear the road, he said, adding, four dozers and three snow cutters were pressed into service.The BRO maintains the strategically important 490-km-long Manali-Leh highway to maintain supplies for the armed forces posted in the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region along the borders with China and Pakistan.With the closure of the Pass, the tribal district of Lahaul-Spiti remains cut off from the rest of the world for the next six months. Residents of the district, which remains snow-bound during the winter season, stay connected with the outside world through Internet and the telephones.Helicopter service is the only means of travel for the people during medical and other emergencies after the closure of the Rohtang Pass.The road was officially closed on November 15, but the BRO was trying its best to keep the road open for as long as possible in the winter season.