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The 434-km strategic Srinagar-Leh national highway was reopened for vehicular traffic on Thursday in a record time of 68 days after its closure in January this year following heavy snowfall, officials said. A trial movement was conducted successfully and the decision to reopen the road for civilian traffic will be taken after a joint inspection by the civil administrations of the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir. The highway was thrown open for traffic at the Zojila Pass, situated at an altitude of 11,650 feet, by Director General of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhary. Zojila is a strategic pass that provides a vital link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh, and it is key to operational preparedness of the armed forces. It used to remain closed for about six months due to heavy snowfall. However, over the last few years, the BRO has been reopening it in less time. This year, it was cleared off in record time of 68 days. Speaking to reporters, Lt
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday lauded the efforts of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and said that it has shown its engineering prowess to the entire world by building 'Atal Tunnel'.Notably, 'Atal Tunnel' was dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 3, 2020. The 9.02 km long, strategically significant, tunnel, that runs under the 'Rohtang Pass', was constructed on the Manali-Leh Highway under challenging conditions of freezing temperatures in extremely difficult terrain."Roads have been quite crucial in the journey of humanity. I have been told that BRO had constructed 60,000 km of roads, 850 bridges, 19 airstrips, and 4 tunnels so far. BRO showed its engineering prowess to the entire world in building Atal Tunnel," Singh said while addressing the event."This has been one of the biggest achievements not only of BRO but of the entire country. A new record has been set in the field of construction," the Defence Minister added.The Minister ...