Srinagar-Leh highway closed for 6 winter months

Srinagar, Nov 14: The 434-km-long Srinagar-kargil-Leh national highway was officially closed for six winter months from today due to snowfall.

The highway was scheduled to be closed for winter from November 15 but was closed earlier following snowfall between Sonamarg-Zojila and Gumri.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), responsible for the maintinance of the highway linking the Ladakh region with the rest of the Jammu and Kashmir, pressed into service using sophisticated machines to clear the accumulated snow. However, it was decided to close the highway for six winter months to avoid any accident as the road was slippery due to snowfall.

A traffic police official said that all the vehicles, including passenger buses and trucks, stranded on Zojila pass, were allowed to proceed towards their respective destinations.

However, no vehicle was allowed from Leh, Kargil, Drass and Sriangar today, he said adding the road was slippery and that the traffic police officials deployed on the highway are being withdrawn.

Meanwhile, the authorities claimed to have stored all essential commodities, including rice, atta, cooking gas, kerosene oil and other eatables in Leh, Kargil and other far flung areas of Ladakh.

The Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil chairman Asgar Karbalayee said that all essential commodities for six winter months have been stored in the entire Kargil district.

However, he said, in case of any emergency, medicines, particuarly life saving drugs could be airlifted from Kashmir.

UNI