The Rohtang Pass, closed for the last 25 days due to heavy snowfall, has been reopened for traffic thus facilitating movement between Kullu valley and Lahaul valley of Himachal Pradesh.
Though the Pass, situated at a height of 13,50 feet, was opened late afternoon of Thursday by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after clearance of snow from roads in a stretch of 40 km, movement of majority of stranded vehicles started on Friday morning only.
About 250 people had got stranded due to untimely snowfall last month.
The Lahaul and Spiti district administration has made special arrangements with the help of BRO officials for smooth movement of the vehicles through difficult terrain of the Pass which is the main route to strategic Leh.
A total of eight bulldozers, 35 BRO officials and as many labourers worked overtime to clear snow-clogged roads from Marhi to Rohtang on Kullu side and Koksar to Rohtang from Lahaul and Spiti in 25 days.
Six feet to 20 feet snow had accumulated on roads in difficult weather condition when temperature dipped to as low as minus 25 to minus 30 degree celsius.
Fourteen people, mostly labourers from Jharkhand, had died trapped in snowstorm when they in a group of 75 people had set to cross the Pass on foot from Koksar on November 20.
