Snow delay keeps Srinagar-Leh NH open
Ganderbal, Dec 14: The Srinagar-Leh National Highway connecting Jammu and Kashmir with Ladakh is open for the movement of traffic these days amid the dry weather.
Srinagar-Leh National Highway would usually close by December or the first week of January for the winter months till April due to heavy snowfall that the area experiences along with freezing temperatures, which usually go up to minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Zojila Pass, located at an altitude of 11,600 ft on the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road, is the lifeline between Kashmir and Ladakh.
Officials said that due to the efforts of Border Roads Organisation (BRO), both the Project Vijayak and Project Beacon, along with the Police and Traffic Police personnel at the Zojila Pass, kept the highway open until January 7 last winter.
With the dry weather conditions, the highway is open for traffic movement so far this winter, too.
A Police official said that every day, Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) and heavy vehicles carrying essential commodities and other goods are plying on both sides of the highway as per the traffic plan.
He said that the Traffic Police this year has equipped the Police personnel with some equipment and warm dresses that help them cope with the challenges during winter.
As per the Meteorological Department (MeT), cold and cloudy weather conditions continue to prevail across Ladakh, with fresh light snowfall over several higher reaches, including key mountain passes.
At least 2 to 3 inches of snowfall has been recorded over Zojila, Drass, Sankoo Zanskar, Shinkula, Khardongla, and other higher altitude areas.
The prevailing weather conditions are expected to persist, with cold and cloudy skies dominating most parts of Ladakh.
The weather forecast indicates that similar weather conditions are likely to continue on December 15, with snowfall expected over peaks and high-altitude passes.
From December 16 to 19, the weather is expected to remain partly cloudy, offering a brief window of relatively stable conditions.
However, between December 20 and 22, there is a possibility of light to moderate snowfall at several places along the Zojila-Kargil-Zanskar axis and over the higher reaches of the Leh-Changthang area.
MeT officials said no major snowfall is forecast in the western Himalayan region, at least until December 20.
