Kargil: Stranded for ten days now, hundreds of passengers including students, labourers and patients held a strong protest against the administration, demanding early reopening of the Zojila axis.
The Kargil police visited the site and assured the stranded passengers that they would be let go at the first instance, even as CEC Feroz Khan wrote to LG Brigadier B D Mishra demanding his intervention into the matter, while Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas said that the efforts were on to restore the vehicular movement at the earliest.
The Srinagar-Kargil-Leh road remained closed for the 10th consecutive day on Wednesday following snowfall and snow avalanches along the Zojila Pass, even as the authorities said that the traffic movement would be restricted on Thursday as well.
After two heavy avalanches struck the highway, the Srinagar-Kargil road was closed on April 17 owing to fresh snowfall and avalanches that buried several vehicles. A large number of vehicles carrying thousands of passengers have been stranded in the Sonamarg area since the road was closed.
In a letter to Lieutenant Governor Brigadier B D Mishra on Wednesday, Chief Executive Councillor of LAHDC Kargil, Feroz Khan said that the stranded passengers are facing innumerable issues and that his office is receiving continuous distress calls from students and SSC aspirants who have travelled from various places all the way to Srinagar and Sonamarg.
“A number of stranded students started to receive summons from their academic institutions, even as a large number of labourers are also stranded due to which developmental works are also suffering in the twin districts of Ladakh,” said the CEC, adding the those stranded are facing financial constraints.
With the weather predicted to remain inclement for the coming days with rain and snowfall at various places along the NH1D, the CEC requested LG’s personal intervention in the matter.
He urged LG to allow stranded passenger vehicles to pass through the Zojila pass continuously for the next two days early in the morning one way from Sonamarg to Kargil, while airlifting of the stranded students, patients and passengers could also be explored
“I would like to further state that with each passing day the issues faced by the stranded passengers are increasing. Moreover, with the predicted weather conditions, we ought to take immediate steps for resolution of the issues at hand,” wrote the CEC.
In a press conference, addressed by its president Rigzin Namgial, the District Congress Committee Leh also flayed the Union Territory Administration for its neglectful treatment towards the stranded Ladakhis and sought LG Mishra’s personal intervention into the matter.
Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner Saugat Biswas told The Earth News that the administration was fully concerned for the well-being of every stranded person and the traffic would be restored in a day or two.
Allaying the allegations that vehicles on G20 duty were given passage, Biswas said due to repetitive avalanches in the Zojila axis the highway remained vulnerable resulting to which some of the vehicles on G20 vehicle are stranded at Sonamarg.
