GANDERBAL: Border Roads Organisation began snow clearance operation on Tuesday on the 12-km Gagangeer-Sonamrag stretch of Srinagar-Leh highway, the only road linking Ladakh with rest of Jammu and Kashmir.
The road was closed in December last year after heavy snowfall. "Several snow cutter machines, dozers have been pressed into work, If weather permits, the snow clearance work will be completed soon in first phase up to Sonamarg. official said.
Snow clearance will be tougher on the 12-km road stretch upto Sonamar from Gagingeer, as more snow had accumulated along the stretch as compared to the last year.
The primary aim of the snow clearance is to reinstate the communication between Srinagar to Leh as soon as possible so that supply of goods and services resumes to the Ladakh region.
The Sonamarg highway was closed for traffic in December last year after high altitude areas of the Valley including the 11,578-foot high Zojila Pass experienced heavy snowfall, which is a yearly occurence. With the improvement in weather conditions in March scores of tourists are visiting the beautiful place Gagangeer, tourists who come to visit here have to return from Gagangeer and not allowed to visit Sonamarg, due to the road closure. But according to the tourists, they are enjoying the beautiful place of Gagangeer.