BRO starts highway clearance work to restore traffic movement

Tribune News Service

Mandi, April 18

Following heavy snowfall at the Baralacha La on Saturday, the Manali-Leh highway remained closed for traffic on the second consecutive day on Sunday.

Due to the highway closure, a large number of vehicles were stranded at Darcha and Sarchu on both sides of the Baralacha pass in the region.

On Sunday, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) started the snow-clearance operation on the Manali-Leh highway near the Baralacha pass to restore the traffic movement in the region.

Route unfit for travel for a week

The highway won’t be fit for traffic movement near the Baralacha pass for at least a week, so people are advised to avoid taking this route. The movement of tourists from Darcha towards Sarchu is also restricted. — Manav Verma, SP, Lahaul & Spiti

According to the BRO sources, around 5-ft fresh snowfall was reported at the Baralacha pass on Saturday. Strong blizzard and freezing temperature are posing difficulty for the BRO to clear the road.

Travelling on the Manali-Leh highway has become a risky affair because the entire stretch from Darcha to Sarchu is now an avalanche-prone area following the fresh snowfall.

According to Manav Verma, Superintendent of Police, Lahaul Spiti, the top priority of the district administration is to evacuate the stranded vehicles as well as people from Darcha and Sarchu and send them to their native places safely as soon as the BRO restores the highway for the traffic movement via the Baralacha pass.

The SP said the highway would not be fit for normal traffic movement near the Baralacha pass for at least a week, so people have been advised to avoid their journey on this route during this period.

Meanwhile, the stranded people are waiting desperately for the restoration of the highway to head towards their native places. So far, 788 stranded people have been evacuated by the police, BRO and ITBP personnel in Lahaul Spiti two days ago. Still a large number of people are stuck in the region.

Lahaul Spiti DC Pankaj Rai said the district administration was providing free ration to the stranded people and arrangements had been made for their stay.

He said as soon as the highway was restored, all of them would be sent to their native places with immediate effect.