Srinagar, December 5: Giving out green signal, the Ministry of Defence, in a major decision has approved the proposal of Ladakh Rescue Centre to keep the dangerous Srinagar-Kargil road open during the harsh winters by keeping the Zojila clear for traffic. Immediately after the approval, the UT administration of Ladakh has asked the Commissioner-Secretary, Roads and Buildings (R&B) and Finance, Ladakh, to place adequate funds at the disposal of the Mechanical Division, Kargil, so that the officials are able to keep the Zojila clear for traffic.
An order in this regard was issued by the Divisional Commissioner, Ladakh, Saugat Biswas on Tuesday. He said, “The proposal of the Ladakh Rescue Centre for conducting a pilot on 15-km on either side of the Zojila (30-km in total) has got approval of the Ministry of Defence. You are requested to give appropriate directions to the Mechanical Division, Kargil, and place adequate funds at their disposal facilitating them to conduct the work in coordination with the Project Beacon and Vijayak this season itself.”
Zojila is considered as a lynchpin of all-weather connectivity to Ladakh, is situated at an altitude of 11,578 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh highway and it is the fourth highest pass in the country. Apart from its tough geography and topography, the mighty Zojila witnesses a maximum standing snow of around 5-6 meters every year and the lowest temperature plummets to estimated -28°C. Heavy snow triggers avalanches without break every year.
Consequently, Ladakh remains cut off from the rest of the country for almost six months in a year which generally triggers shortage of essentials in the arid region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had laid the foundation of the prestigious Zojila tunnel — 14.31-km in length — in May 2018 to have all weather road connectivity to Ladakh but the project so far has virtually remained a non-starter. Ladakh MP Jamyang Tsering Namgyal expressed happiness and extended his gratitude to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.