NEW DELHI: Zojila Pass connecting Kashmir Valley to Ladakh is set to open after remaining closed for record minimum duration. As per the sources, the pass will be opened for vehicle movement after a closure of mere 32 days, on 01 Apr 2025, by Border Roads Organisation (BRO).
Lt Gen Raghu Srinivasan, Director General BRO is to flag off the first convoy towards Ladakh on Tuesday, in the presence of other dignitaries.
Zojila Pass, one of the most critical and challenging high-altitude passes in the world, serves as a strategic lifeline connecting Ladakh with the Kashmir Valley and the rest of India. It has its own unique challenge of freezing temperatures, lack of oxygen and frequent avalanches.
Every year, it experiences heavy snowfall, forcing its closure during the harsh winter months. The Pass, located on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road at a height of 11, 643 feet, normally closes by mid-November every year, with the onset of winters when the temperatures dip to sub-zero degrees and opens only by end April the next year.
This temporary closure impacts not only the movement of troops and essential supplies but also disrupts the daily lives of locals in Ladakh, who depend on this route for trade, medical support, and economic activities.
As per the BRO this year's achievement is particularly remarkable, "given the extreme weather conditions and the swift timeline in which the pass was reopened by the brave personnel of BRO."
This year, the BRO added, the pass faced an unusually short but intense closure period due to relentless snowfall caused by a Western Disturbance from 27 February to 16 March.
The sheer volume of accumulated snow posed a formidable challenge. "However, the indomitable spirit of BRO personnel under Project Beacon and Project Vijayak ensured that restoration efforts commenced immediately after the snowfall subsided. Working under extreme conditions, battling sub-zero temperatures, high velocity winds, and avalanche-prone terrain, the BRO teams cleared the snow in a record 15 days, from 17 March to 31 March."
Their unmatched dedication and technical expertise enabled traffic restoration, an extraordinary achievement that highlights the progress made in infrastructure maintenance in this harsh region.
What was once a six-month closure has now been reduced to mere weeks, proving BRO's capability to overcome nature's toughest challenges.
The pass is a crucial artery for military logistics, ensuring rapid deployment and sustenance of troops in Ladakh, a region of critical national significance.
The region, specifically Ladakh, is strategically important as it shares disputed borders with Pakistan and China, with areas like Kargil, Siachen, Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) falling in this area. Other than air routes, Ladakh is linked by only two land routes with the rest of India: the 434 km Srinagar-Leh road and 475 km Manali-Leh road passing through Sarchu.
The necessity to minimise the closure duration of the pass was felt once the standoff in Eastern Ladakh had set in by May 2020 and a large body of troops with their arms and equipment were moved in by the Indian Military.
Leaving the vital road communication shut was not the option thus BRO initiated plans to gradually cut down this duration of Zojila choked with the snow.
BRO was raised in 1960 and it has an authorized force level of 41,600 which includes 2,426 officers and 39,174 subordinates and is involved in creating and maintaining strategic roads and associated infrastructure.