ROHTANG PASS: “The unrest in Srinagar will divert the major military movement from Srinagar-Leh Highway to Manali-Leh route and we have to open the highway between May 5 and 8,” Border Roads Organization ( BRO ) Additional Director General Mohan Lal said at 13,050ft high snow-bound Rohtang Pass on Monday noon.“You are facing avalanches, blizzards and sub-zero temperatures while freeing the highway from snow and ice. This is not less than any battle. Although the region has received less snow this year, still the jawans, machine operators and officers did commendable job. You have opened Rohtang in record time. Now it’s turn to win even tougher 16,050ft high Baralacha pass,” he said encouragingly to his jawans, who in response broke into shits of Bharat Mata Ki Jai, BRO Ki Jai. The ADG had come to see the current progress of the snow clearance operation and to boost morale in jawans working in extreme conditions.The ADG told the TOI that jawans of project Himank of BRO were moving from Leh towards Sarchu with target of May 5. “Project Deepak has fixed the same target from Manali side. We shall clear snow till Sarchu, 222km from Manali, by May 5 and have target to throw the highway open for traffic before May 8, about two to three weeks in advance.”Clearing snow from the Manali-Sarchu stretch is more challenging than Sarchu-Leh stretch due to more snowfall and avalanches. These days BRO is cutting 10 to 15ft thick layer of snow near Zingzing Bar between Darcha and Baralacha pass. The officers say they are working on war footing to achieve target of April 30 to clear snow from Baralacha.The General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF), commonly known as BRO, is responsible for maintenance of 474km-long Manali-Leh highway. The road is lifeline for people of Lahaul-Spiti and Ladakh. Its strategic importance increased after militancy in Srinagar. The Srinagar-Leh highway being very sensible, the Army started spending huge amount on maintenance of Manali-Leh highway which had showed its importance during Kargil war in 1999.Over 100 jawans with 25 snow cutters, dozers and JCBs are engaged in the snow clearance operation between Manali and Sarchu. The daunting task which has claimed many lives in past is underway safely so far.Work on tunnel under Shinkula pass expected in three yearsRohtang Pass: To connect Ladakh with Manali by alternate route that will provide all-weather road connectivity to Indian Army, BRO will soon build a tunnel below 16,500ft high Shinkula pass and formalities for this have been started,” BRO additional director general Mohan Lal said.He said this tunnel is on priority list of defence ministry. The procedure of survey and detailed project report may take two years and the work is expected to start within three years. “We are building a road above Shinkula which will be ready by 2019. The road towards Lahaul has sunk at a place. And in its northern side, in Zanskar valley of Ladakh, we shall build a bridge. Only a small stretch is to be built to connect Keylong with Sumdo, the headquarters of Zanskar,” he said.The 297-km-long Darcha-Padum-Nimmu road was expected to complete by 2020 but may take little more time. Manali to Darcha road is already blacktopped and mostly double-laned. Nimmu is about 35km beyond Leh towards Kargil. Currently distance between Manali and Nimmu is about 510km. Sources said that the road via Shinkula and Padum in Zanskar will reduce the distance by 65km but decrease travel time by several hours as it will bypass many high passes like Baralacha and Taglang-la. Also, once Rohtang and Shinkula tunnels are complete, the road will become almost all-weather.

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