Screening facility to be placed on the Srinagar-Leh highway to check COVID-19:DC Ganderbal Mr Shafqat Iqbal
KASHMIR NEWS ZONE CORRESPONDENT
Ganderbal (Zojila) 16 Mar (KNZ):The Srinagar-Leh highway is expected to open by the end of this month than used to happen in previous years as Beacon has cleared the highest and avalanche-prone Zojilla Pass much ahead of the scheduled time.
The only arterial highway which connects Leh with rest of the country was closed in early December last year as heavy snowfall has shut the road for all types of transport.
OC S V Krishna of 122 RCC Beacon said that the snow clearance from village Gaganger was started much earlier this year on February 21 to connect Ladakh with rest of the country as early as possible.
“Our men by using 12 modern equipments of snow clearance cleared the highway till Zojilla Pass in just 18 days, which is a record-breaking achievement in the last sixty years as the road will be thrown open in March,”
He said that till last year the snow clearance operation would begin in March and the road would be opened in April.
“This year we are much ahead than previous years and it is record of sorts inspite of the fact there is unprecedented snow accumulation in the Himalayan region with snow touching to 10 feet to 50 feets,” he said, adding the Beacon will carry out further snow clearance till the team connects with snow clearance team of Project Vijayak across the Zojilla Pass.
Captain Shubham Sood incharge of snow clearance team at Zojilla pass said that the Beacon teams had to face many difficulties during the clearance because the Pass is avalanche-prone and avalanches are as high as 65 feet high
“Opening the road in March is a very big achievement for us as we did it in short duration of 18 days in sub zero temperature and braving avalanche-prone areas,” he said.
“Our priority is to connect Leh with rest of the country as early as possible and that will happen at the end of this month,” he said.
When Kashmir News Zone-KNZ Contacted DC Ganderbal Mr Shafqat Iqbal he said we will check feasibility of road by end of this month .And we will setup screening facility at the entrance to check COVID-19.KNZ
