BRO begins snow clearance on Leh highway in J and K

Kargil, Feb 27 (UNI) Notwithstanding fresh snowfall, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) began snow clearance operation on the 434-km Srinagar-Leh national highway, which has been closed since November 15 last year due to heavy snowfall.

A BRO spokesman told UNI the snow clearance operation was launched on Sunday from Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia.

''We have cleared snow from a 20-km road strip upto Matayen where about two feet of snow had accumulated with the help of sophisticated machines. Though it has been snowing since morning today, the clearance operation is on for the opening of the highway early this year,'' he said.

The highway remains closed every year for six winter months from Sonamarg to Drass due to heavy snowfall. However, traffic continues to ply on both sides from Drass-Kargil-Leh due to low snowfall.

On November 15 last year, the highway was closed following heavy snowfall at Zojila, Shaitan Nullah, Zero point and Gumri.

The snowfall had also buried alive two Kashmiri teachers, who were on way to Srinagar from Drass.

While one teacher, buried under the snow avalanche, was rescued and sent to his hometown in south Kashmir, the body of another could still not be traced.

However, official sources were hopeful that the body could only be recovered once the snow melted.

The authorities have airlifted more than 2000 stranded passengers from Kargil and Srinagar during the past two months.

UNI