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Manali-Leh highway blocked after snowfall

     Manali (Himachal Pradesh)/ Qazigund (J-K): Heavy snowfall has forced closure of 475-km- long Manali-Leh national highway, cutting off the Lahaul and Spiti regions from the rest of the country for the six months. "Currently, the entire highway has been closed with immediate effect due to heavy snowfall. The administration has made arrangements for people and set up rescue posts in Manikaran and Koksar areas. The posts will help pedestrians who want to cross Manali into Lahaul Spiti and use the Rohtang Pass," said Vinay Kumar, Sub Divisional Officer. The road will now open in May next year after Border Roads Organization (BRO) personnel clear the snow.

     "As far as opening the highway is concerned, this would be possible only by April or May next year. The work is deputed to the BRO, and as soon as they clear it, traffic will once again start plying normally," he added. The highway, which links Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Lahaul- Spiti in Jammu and Kashmir officially, closes by the November 15 every year. With the closing of the highway, essential supplies for civilians and the army personnel based in Kargil is being airlifted. In Jammu, traffic on the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway continues to be affected after persistent snowing and multiple landslides. The queue of stranded trucks along the route has elongated, as passengers struggled to find enough food and warm clothing from adjoining settlements. Most of the passengers were tourists and pilgrims travelling between Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. "We came here after pilgrimage to Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu. We got stranded because of the persistent snowing and multiple landslides. Earlier, we had no contingency amenities, but now government officials have been on their feet. We now have a community hall as shelter," said Yogesh, a pilgrim. "It is freezing cold over here. We have small kids with us, they have been falling ill. The warm clothing we are traveling with have are insufficient. We asked the local administration officer but were denied even blankets," said Pushpa, a tourist. The BRO has removed two major blockades in Rattanpass and Nachlana and continuing their efforts to clear the road. Meanwhile, three armymen who were engaged in clearing the rubble were reported killed by a snow avalanche at Dogi Bahak in the Baramullah District. Road blockades due to winter landslides are recurring phenomena in Jammu and Kashmir. Every year, the state incurs financial losses due to stranding of commercial traffic for two-three months.
-Dec 6,  2006

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