Snow clearance on Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road launched after fresh snowfall

Bhaderwah, Feb 3: Authorities have intensified snow-clearance operations on the strategic Bhaderwah–Chamba interstate road following fresh snowfall, deploying multiple high-tech machines to restore traffic movement across high-altitude stretches in Doda district, officials said on Tuesday.

The Hi-tech machines are clearing the snow from the highway which passes through high altitude passes including Padri Gali located at a height of 10,700 ft above sea level.

Assistant Executive Engineer Mechanical Division Doda, Manjeet Kotwal said that department has deployed half a dozen hi-tech snow-clearing machines to carry snow-clearing operation on a war footing.

"The interstate road is of strategic importance and keeping in view the utility of this road link, multiple hi-tech machines are on the job round the clock to clear the snow," said Manjeet Kotwal AEE Mechanical Division Doda.

"As of now the road stretch has been made motorable upto Thanhala village which is the last habitation of Jammu and Kashmir and hopefully we will clear the snow upto Khanni Top Army camp by this evening," Kotwal added.

Beside housing famous tourist destinations Khanni Top, Padri Galli, Khundi Maral and Bhaderwahi Ghoth, Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate Road is the only road link after Lakhanpur that connects Jammu and Kashmir with rest of the country.