Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 13

The strategic Manali-Leh highway that provides an alternative road link to Ladakh is expected to be opened for traffic next week. Only a stretch of about two kilometres on the 490-km-long highway remains to be cleared of snow.

“The remaining stretch is at Baralacha La top, the 16,000-ft high pass near the Himachal Pradesh-Ladakh border,” a senior Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officer said. “We expect to clear it by May 18-20,” he added.

“The height of snow at higher altitudes ranged from 10 feet to 35 feet, with numerous avalanches and other ice hazards,” an officer said. “Snow blizzards and sub-zero temperatures are other challenges faced by the workforce,” he added. The average elevation of the highway is 13,000 feet, with the highest point being 17,480 ft at Taglang La top.

The road from the other side from Leh to Baralacha La, which has four high passes en route, is already open, according to BRO sources. This year, the BRO worked to open some of the passes about 2-3 weeks earlier than usual. In April-end, Rohtang Pass, a popular tourist destination near Manali that links the Kullu Valley with Lahaul Valley in Himachal was opened by BRO three weeks earlier as compared to past years.

Work of opening the strategic road, which remains closed to traffic during winters because of heavy snow, continued despite the threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due precautions and safeguards were taken for the workforce.

BRO sources said that for the first time road-clearing teams and equipment were inducted by helicopters to Sarchu, ahead of the Baralacha La when proceeding from Manali to Leh, so that work could be undertaken simultaneously from both ends. BRO’s 70 Road Construction Company is deployed on this stretch.

The opening of the Manali-Leh road not only has socio-economic benefits for the civilian populace in the region as much needed supplies can be transported in, but also has strategic implications for the forces deployed in the northern sector. The route is an important logistical and communications element.

Ladakh, which remains cut off from the mainland for over five months in winters, has two primary access roads — the national highway from Srinagar over the 11,570-ft high Zoji La between Sonmarg and Kargil and the Manali- Leh road. A third link is from Darcha near Keylong in Himachal to Kargil, which is now being widened.

In winter, movement of troops and supplies to Ladakh depend upon the Air Force which ferries them in on cargo aircraft based at Chandigarh.  Tunnels are being made under the passes on both axis to permit all-weather access to Ladakh, but it is a long-drawn prospect.