Avoid Manali-Leh highway, snowfall likely
October 23rd, 2011 - 3:48 pm ICT by IANSManali, Oct 23 (IANS) Avoid travelling on high mountain passes that connect this Himachal Pradesh town to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir after the end of October due to possible snowfall ahead, authorities said Sunday.
“Chances of snowfall on the Manali-Leh National Highway-21 are high after Oct 31. We are advising the motorists to avoid the highway till the onset of summer next year,” General Reserve Engineering Force commanding officer Praveen Yernurkar told IANS.
GREF, a wing of the Border Roads Organisation, maintains the highway that passes through rugged Himalayan ranges, including the 475-km Manali-Leh highway that passes through Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft), Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft), Lachlungla Pass (16,620 ft) and Tanglangla Pass (17,480 ft).
If any vehicle got stranded due to untimely snowfall, the BRO would not be able to carry out snow-clearing operation after end of this month, Yernurkar said.
The BRO will withdraw its men and machinery deployed at various locations along the highway next month.
The weather at the passes is harsh. A sudden drop in the temperature, even in summer, can trigger winter-like conditions.
Every year after winter, GREF opens the highway by deploying more than 250 labourers.
The highway is strategically important to maintain supplies for the armed forces posted in the forward areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Ladakh region along the borders with China and Pakistan.
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- Don't travel on Manali-Leh highway after October - Oct 07, 2010
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- Manali-Leh highway likely to reopen Saturday - Jun 04, 2010
- Manali-Leh highway reopens for traffic - Jun 07, 2010
- Luxury bus service between Manali and Leh reopens - Jul 02, 2011
- Permit must for Manali-Leh travel by non-Himachal vehicles - Jun 26, 2011
- Snow clearing work begins on Manali-Leh highway - Mar 01, 2011
- Through mountain of snow, they open road to Lahaul (Feature with image) - Apr 27, 2012
- Manali-Leh highway to be closed from Oct 31 - Oct 14, 2009
- Snowfall forces closure of Manali-Leh highway - Oct 19, 2009
- Manali-Leh road link may be used round-the-year - Jun 26, 2010
- Rohtang tunnel work in Himachal to begin June - May 05, 2010
- Rohtang Pass to be operational till Nov 15 - Nov 01, 2010
- Snowfall ahead, BRO stops operations on Rohtang Pass - Nov 15, 2010
Tags: armed forces, authorities, border roads, borders, bro, china, commanding officer, forward areas, himachal pradesh, himalayan ranges, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, ladakh region, motorists, oct 31, pakistan, snow clearing, snowfall, weather