Srinagar:Braving extreme weather, avalanche threats, and over 30 feet of snow accumulation at several places, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is working relentlessly to restore the strategic Srinagar-Leh highway through the Zojila Pass.
In a high-level review, Commander 32 Border Roads Task Force (BRTF) Col Sandeep Jha and Officer Commanding 122 Road Construction Company (RCC) inspected the ongoing snow clearance operations on the Zojila axis along the Srinagar-Leh highway.
The 434-kilometre strategic highway serves as the only link between the people of Ladakh and Kashmir and the thousands of soldiers stationed in the Ladakh region. The highway traverses through the Himalayas at Zojila pass, located at 11,500 feet, and then the Zanskar Mountain Range at Fatula to enter Ladakh.
The Zojila Pass remains one of the toughest to clear each year due to heavy snowfall and extreme weather conditions.
The BRO teams, under Project Beacon, have been working tirelessly, employing heavy-duty snow cutters, dozers, and advanced engineering techniques to clear the pass for safe vehicular movement.
During the visit, Commander 32 BRTF interacted with field engineers, machine operators, and labour teams braving sub-zero temperatures to expedite the clearance process.They also assessed the progress, identified bottlenecks, and strategised further measures to enhance efficiency while ensuring the safety of personnel involved in the high-altitude operation, officials said.
They added that despite the accumulation of over 30 feet of snow in certain stretches, BRO teams have been making remarkable progress, overcoming multiple avalanche-prone zones and severe weather disruptions.
The commander lauded the resilience and dedication of the workforce, emphasising the importance of timely reopening of the pass for civilian and military logistics.