Zojila Pass is one of the most critical and challenging high-altitude passes in the world connecting Kashmir Valley to Ladakh
New Delhi: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) on Tuesday opened the strategic Zojila Pass, which connects Ladakh and Kashmir, after a closure for a mere 32 days for winter. A few years ago, the road used to open only by the end of April.
The road is crucial for the supply of food, arms and ammunition in Ladakh where troops are deployed along the fronts with China and Pakistan.
Lt Gen. Raghu Srinivasan, DG, BRO, flagged off the first convoy towards Ladakh. Zojila Pass is one of the most critical and challenging high-altitude passes in the world connecting Kashmir Valley to Ladakh.
This year, the pass faced an unusually short but intense closure period due to relentless snowfall caused by a western disturbance for 17 days, from February 27 to March 16. The sheer volume of accumulated snow posed a formidable challenge. BRO
personnel, working under extreme conditions, battling sub-zero temperatures, high velocity winds, and avalanche-prone terrain, cleared the snow in a record 14 days, from March 17.
Due to technological advancements, improved snow-clearance techniques, and the relentless efforts of BRO, this closure period has been drastically reduced from about six months a few decades ago to a few weeks now.
"The reopening of Zojila Pass is a testament to the dedication of BRO, which has Project Beacon in Kashmir and Project Vijayak in Ladakh to ensure timely restoration of connectivity on this strategic pass," said the defence ministry.
