The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) officially reopened the strategically important Manali-Leh highway on Tuesday, after the route remained blocked for approximately five months due to heavy snowfall.
The BRO initiated snow-clearance operations on March 27 and completed the task in 42 days. During this period, personnel from Project Deepak of the BRO cleared the highway from Manali to Sarchu, while Project Himank cleared the stretch from Leh to Sarchu, braving avalanches and intermittent snowfall.
A BRO official stated that civilian traffic will be allowed on the highway in the coming days following trial runs. The official noted that the major challenge during this year's clearance operation was persistent snow spells that continued even in April, along with the threat of avalanches.
The 428-kilometer-long Manali-Leh highway was officially closed for traffic on November 20 of the previous year.
Meanwhile, light rainfall was recorded in isolated areas of low and mid hills, and snowfall was observed in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh on Tuesday. The high-altitude regions of Lahaul and Spiti, including Darcha, Sarchu, and Shinkula, experienced light snowfall on Tuesday afternoon.
According to the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, the state has recorded an average of 35.5 mm of rain between May 1 and 12, which is 34 percent higher than the normal of 26.5 mm for the period.
