By : Mohan Verma
After keeping off about six months, Manali-Keylong-Leh strategic highway was opened for vehicular traffic by Border Road Organisation yesterday as it was snowbound between Keylong and Leh.
District Publicity Officer Kullu Mr. Sher Singh said that this road shut down due to early snowfall in October 2013 and was opened by BRO yesterday. This snowbound road is likely to remain open for next six months link Himachal Pradesh with Leh and Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.
This road not only helps the local tribal people, to come in contact with their relatives in Ladakh, but it also paves the way for Indian Armed Forces to deploy their installments along the border, besides maintaining supply to forces, which were otherwise airlifted to Ladakh from the Chandimandir airport.
This road is also an equal attraction for thousands of tourists who could be seen riding on their vehicles and tempo travelers on set of tourist season being ferry from tourists destination Manali of Kullu district to Keylong and further Leh covering mountainous and tough terrain.
This road spanned in more than 470 km tough geographical traverse after crossing four snowy passes including 13048 ft Rohtang Pass, Baralacha and two passes which have to require clearance of snowfall every year. Rohtang Pass though open in month of May become snowbound on June 1 was also declared reopen yesterday, Mr. Singh informed. The Keylong-Kaza and Manali-Kaza road could not open so far as it is snowbound at Kunzum pass target by the BRO to open it on June 15.
Currently people of Lahaul & Spiti were sowing crop of potato which have high demand in the market for the disease free seed tubers. People of Lahaul & Spiti are not happy as the progress on the all weather Rohtang tunnel to link Solan nalah of Manali with Gramphu at Lahaul valley is very slow. The multi billion national imminence project is target to commission in mid of 2015 likely to be delay as multi-national firm enrolled for purpose is getting geological challenges to complete in time, official said.
