After the winter break, Srinagar-Leh highway reopens
By: Muzamil Bhat CK
Srinagar
After the severe winter and heavy snow, the authorities were able to reopen Srinagar-Leh highway on Friday as the vehicles were seen going to Ladakh from Kashmir valley.
The heavy snow was cleared on war footing by BRO with the help of men and machinery and it was only due to their extra efforts that Srinagar-Leh highway has been through for the traffic.
After the Zojila tunnel is completed, people of Ladakh will get a fair weather road and it will not be disrupted either by snow or winters. However, till that tunnel is completed, the government has been able to reopen the road much earlier.
Official sources said that traffic was allowed from Srinagar to Leh after remaining closed for around 80 days and was plying normally when this report was filed, according to news agency GNS.
The decision to open the highway was taken at a meeting co-chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Pandurang K Pole and Divisional Commissioner Ladakh, Saugat Biswas earlier this week.
The meeting had decided that only light vehicles shall ply initially on the highway on the pattern of odd-even basis.
The one way traffic from Srinagar to Leh shall ply on odd days while from Leh to Srinagar traffic will ply on even days. From next week there shall be no movement of transport on Fridays.
The cut off time for vehicles from Kashmir side shall remain 6 am at Sonmarg, Ganderbal side and 8:30 am from Kargil Side at Meenamarg.
The meeting had also decided to establish health check up centers, establishment of joint control room, traffic check posts, positioning of recovery vans, operation of weight bridges to restrict overloading of vehicles besides allow movement of only anti-skid chained vehicles.
With GNS inputs
