Authorities take steps to check landslides along Srinagar-Leh highway

Srinagar, Aug 16 (ANI): Authorities in Jammu and Kashmir are putting up barriers on the boundaries of the National Highway 1-D connecting Srinagar with Leh town to keep landslides from blocking the highway.

Huge boulders were erected from Ganderbal district to the Zojila Pass, a distance of 108 kilometers from Srinagar, to keep the highway free from obstructions and permit unrestricted passage to vehicles.

The work on the project began a few years ago but had to face many obstacles due to the unpredictable weather conditions.

"We are taking precautions so that there are no sliding portions, and we will have our maintenance work for the future. Work for drainage system and construction of wall are going on together," said Surender Kumar, a junior engineer with the Border Roads Organization.

Locals said that protecting the highway would go a long way in helping the tourism-dependent state.

"This is to prevent the soil on the other side from falling onto the highway and thus blocking it, and when it rains the situation becomes worse. We earn our income through the tourists, and if they face problem they will not come here," said Nisar Ahmad, a local.

The Border Roads Organization (BRO) undertakes snow-clearing operations every year on all border roads in the mountainous Himalayan range, to facilitate movement of residents and military personnel to remote regions that are cut off due to snow from the rest of the country. By Parvez Butt(ANI)