Delhi: Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has created a record by reopening the Zoji La pass, the strategic gateway between the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir, for traffic, just 73 days after its closure. This is the first time BRO has achieved the feat, after it had kept the pass open till January 05, 2022, through relentless snow clearance operations amidst harsh weather conditions.
Since February 15, 2022, the snow clearance operations were undertaken from both sides of the pass by Project Beacon and Vijayak, located in J&K and Ladakh, respectively.
After sustained efforts, the connectivity across Zoji La Pass was initially established on March 04, 2022. After that, efforts were made to improve the road conditions to create the safe passage of vehicles.
The first convoy of vehicles carrying essential fresh supplies, on March 19, 2022, moved across the Zoji La Pass and reached Kargil, bringing much-needed relief to the people of Ladakh.
Usually, the Zoji La Pass remained closed for around 160-180 days during winters because of heavy snowfall.
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Various dignitaries from civil administration and the Indian Army, including Director General Border Roads (DGBR) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, were present during the re-opening of the pass.
Lauding the efforts of Project Beacon and Vijayak, the DGBR said that the early opening of Zoji La Pass would bolster the country’s defense preparedness and facilitate the movement of essential commodities to the people of Ladakh.
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He added that the opening of the pass would assist BRO in stocking the material required to construct important infrastructure projects in Ladakh. He reiterated BRO’s commitment to be at the forefront in nation-building.
Located at an altitude of 11,650 feet on the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh national highway, Zoji La is a strategic pass that links Kashmir Valley and Ladakh and is the key to operational preparedness of the Armed Forces.
