May 18: Unfettered by limitations faced due to covid-19 pandemic, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has cleared snow from the 490 km long Leh-Manali highway connecting Ladakh with the rest of India and had opened it on Monday.
The snow has been cleared under Project Himank and Project Deepak of BRO from over 16,000 feet high Baralacha Pass and a 17, 500 feet Tanglang La Pass, which are considered the most challenging trenches for snow clearing teams.
The pass which was closed amid winter has been opened for traffic, one month in advance as compared to previous year due to untiring efforts of BRO and is considered as the most popular and adventurous pathway for mountain bikers and tourists.
The highway is highly strategic as it connects Ladakh with the mainland and is crucial for transporting essential supplies. It is one of the two pathways that remain closed during winters due to excess snowfall. The other road is over 11,570 ft high at Zoji La between Sonmarg and Kargil.
BRO’s daunting tasks in snow capped mountains and risky avalanche prone areas amid pandemic also include clearing the Rohtang Pass, one of the top tourist destinations of the country which was opened for vehicular traffic after which the first batch of about 52 vehicles reached Lahaul from Manali.

(This article has been sourced from Prasar Bharati News Services as part of Coronavirus coverage)

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 18, 2020 07:32 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).