Mandi, October 3: The HRTC on Tuesday resumed its bus service between Kullu and Keylong in Lahaul via Rohtang Pass. The service had been suspended due to heavy snowfall on the pass. The HRTC has also started its services on a few routes in the Lahaul valley. Since September 22, the traffic had come to a standstill in Lahaul-Spiti as heavy snow had blocked most of the roads.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has cleared snow from Rohtang to open the pass for traffic between Manali and Keylong. Similarly, Baralacha Pass and Kunzum have also been opened.
Mangal Chand Manepa, Regional Manager, HRTC, Keylong, said, “Four buses have been sent to Manali from Keylong. The road has been opened for one-way traffic. On day one, the traffic will be allowed from Keylong to Manali, while on day two, the traffic will move from Manali to Keylong until the road is widened.”
He said the HRTC was plying buses on local routes in Lahaul in which one bus each was plying between Keylong-Udaipur, Keylong-Darcha, Keylong-Koksar and towards the Miyar valley. Similarly, the snow clearance work was on a full swing on local link roads and as soon as these were cleared, the HRTC would start its bus service.
“The HRTC team will inspect the Kaza road on Wednesday and, if fit, bus service will be resumed between Manali and Kaza,” he said. There has been no power in Lahaul-Spiti district since September 22 as heavy snowfall had damaged the transmission lines. The Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board has deployed its workforce to restore the power supply. The mobile services of the BSNL have been restored in Keylong but a most of the part still lacks the communication facility.
Ashwani Kumar Chaudhari, DC, Lahaul-Spiti, said efforts were on to normalise the situation. As many as 350 vehicles, trapped on the Manali-Leh highway, were removed.
