Manali-Leh Highway opens for traffic

Manali-Leh Highway, May 4 : The Manali-Leh Highway was opened today for vehicular traffic after a six-month long hiatus.

Bringing cheer to the tribal people of Lahaul Spiti and Pangi, the Border Road Organization (BRO) opened the 475-kilometres long National Highway 21, which was closed due to heavy snowfall since November 2007.

BRO had started the snow clearance work from February this year and had faced tough weather conditions in clearing the snow. The region had received a heavy spell of snowfall in March.

From the national security point of view also this highway is considered very important as entire arms and ammunition are transported from this road because this road is treated as the safest road, which leads to Kargil.

There are only two roads leading to the landlocked Ladakh region -- the Srinagar-Leh Highway, which runs close to Indo-Pakistan border and the Manali-Leh Highway.

ANI