Srinagar: Despite heavy snowfall at Zojila, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under 'Project Beacon' has ensured the opening of the pass to facilitate connectivity to the Ladakh region, the army said on Thursday. On the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road, the Zojila Pass is located at an elevation of 11,643 feet and serves as the lifeline between the Kashmir Valley and Ladakh. "Last year, the Zojila Pass was kept open till January 3.
This year once again, due to the concerted efforts under Project Beacon, the Zojila Pass is kept open, for the first time, till January 6. The extended opening of Zojila Pass was carried out by BRO for the first time in 2020 keeping in view the situation on the northern borders, and since then it has been continued in 2021 and 2022," the army said.
"Freezing temperatures of up to minus 20 degrees Celsius, insufficient oxygen, high winds and blizzards and frequent avalanches in this terrain did not deter the BRO, which despite all odds, ensured unhindered movement of vehicles across the Zojila Pass in the current winter season," it added.
More than 20 heavy-duty plant equipment, including four state-of-the-art snow cutters, were employed to keep the axis open. The BRO has also completed successful trials of route guidance and navigation system technology for snow clearance equipment to enhance efficiency and safety while performing snow clearance operations.
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"Project Beacon has ensured connectivity for the strategic requirements of the Indian Army and survival requirements of the local population of Ladakh. The snowfall in the last two-three days has resulted in slippery road conditions along the Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway, disrupting traffic movement," the army said.
"Detachments of Project Beacon with prepositioned equipment located at Gumri, Bajri Nallah, Baltal, Sonamarg and Gagangir played a key role in the opening of the pass despite inclement weather conditions. Six teams deployed at different locations worked 24x7 to keep the road open during extremely challenging conditions since the onset of winter," it added.
The army also said that approximately 13,500 vehicles crossed Zojila since November 25, 2022, while moving from Kashmir to Ladakh and vice-versa. The efforts of BRO to keep the pass open for so long have been lauded by the civil administration as well as the local population of Kashmir Valley and UT Ladakh. Despite the closure of Zojila Pass, snow clearance operations by Project Beacon will continue unabated to keep the Sonamarg Tourist Destination open throughout the winter as per the requirements of the Kashmir Division.
