The Defence Ministry declared on Saturday that Border Roads Organisation (BRO) unlocked the gateway between Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir – the Zoji La Pass – for traffic on Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road at 11,650 feet. With this, BRO has established an all-time record of the pass being inaugurated after just 73 days of its closure this year.
It would be the first time BRO has been eligible to accomplish the feat, after it had protected the pass open till January 05, 2022, through relentless snow clearance operations in the harsh weather conditions.
Praising the actions of Project Beacon and Vijayak, the DGBR told, the early commencement of Zoji La Pass will not only strengthen the defence preparedness of the nation but will also promote the movement of vital commodities to the people of Ladakh. He further said that the opening of the pass will help BRO to stock the material needed for the construction of important infrastructure projects in Ladakh. He repeated BRO’s commitment to be at the forefront in Nation Building.
As per the ministry, several dignitaries from civil administration and the Indian Army, involving Director General Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, were there during the re-opening of the pass.
From February 15, 2022, the snow clearance procedures were attempted from both sides of the pass by Project Beacon and Vijayak, located in J&K and Ladakh respectively. After endured actions, the connectivity across Zoji La Pass was earlier established on March 04, 2022.
Later on, exertions were made to enhance the road conditions to build a safe passage of vehicles.
The initial convoy of vehicles delivering essential fresh supplies moved across the Zoji La Pass and arrived at Kargil bringing much-needed relief to the population of Ladakh. Normally, the Zoji La Pass used to stay closed for around 160-180 days during winters because of heavy snowfall.
