Manali, June 3 (IANS): The road that connects Manali in Himachal Pradesh to Leh in Jammu and Kashmir reopened to traffic after remaining closed for over six months due to heavy snow deposits, an official said here Tuesday.
The road is crucial for movement of armed forces to areas in the Ladakh region that borders China and Pakistan.
"The snow-clearing operation between Manali and Leh was completed Monday evening," Col. Yogesh Nair, commander of the 38 Task Force of GREF, told IANS.
GREF or General Reserve Engineering Force is a wing of the Border Roads Organisation that maintains crucial highways in the country.
The entire 475-km road stretch between Manali and Leh remains off-limits for over six months due to heavy snow. The road was shut down mid-November last year.
The snow-clearing started March 1 and took over two months to make the road pliable.
The Manali-Leh highway that attracts a number of backpackers, especially foreign nationals, winds its way through the Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft), Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft), Lachlungla Pass (16,620 ft) and Tanglangla (17,480 ft).