GOC flags off vehicles as Srinagar-Leh NH reopens

Excelsior Correspondent

Army convoy crossing Zojila pass on Saturday.
Army convoy crossing Zojila pass on Saturday.

SRINAGAR, May 17: The Srinagar based Chinar Corps Commander of 15 Corps, Lt. General  Gurmeet Singh today flagged off  the  vehicles  at Zojilla pass to throw the Srinagar-Leh National Highway open.
While speaking on the occasion, Lt Gen Singh said that there was pressing need to throw the road open for public amid heightened pressures upon the Border Roads Organization to clear the snow.
The GOC said that this year unprecedented snowfall posed huge challenges to the BRO. “There are about 56 avalanche zones  between Gumri and Minamarg . Every aspect has to be taken care off especially the safety of the commuters  before opening of the road”, he said.
He said that work on 6.5 kilometre tunnels at Z Mohr will commence soon and the 14.1 km long tunnel at Zogila is at the contract stage.  He lauded the role of the Project Beacon and Project Vijayak  for  deploying  extensive resources  and man power for  opening of the road.
The  Chief Engineer Project Beacon, Brig R K Sharma apprised the General the hardships being faced by the Project Beacon in fighting against odds in this area.  The Chief Engineer assured that the work on the Z- Mohr tunnel will commence soon and said that the contract process on Zogila tunnel is in the final stage.