M A I N   N E W S

Srinagar-Leh road re-opens
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, May 14
The Srinagar-Leh national highway, which was closed during the last winter since November, was re-opened to the traffic today with an Army convoy carrying essential stores for the troops deployed in the Ladakh region being flagged off from Srinagar.

The highway is the lifeline for the Ladakh region and is also of immense strategic importance. The Border Road Organisation has been making continuous endeavour to keep this road open for the maximum time of the year, a statement issued here today said.

The 75-km stretch from Gagangir to Drass, spreading almost equally on either side of the Zojila Pass, had received heavy snow precipitation and experienced extremely adverse climatic conditions during the last winter. The pass was closed in November, 2005, and snow clearance operations commenced in March this year.