Posted On:
01 SEP 2026 5:08PM by PIB Kolkata
Rohtang, Kullu District, HP; 01 September 2026
A team of 10 journalists from national and regional media organisations in West Bengal visited Project Yojak of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and were briefed on its role in developing and maintaining high-altitude infrastructure and ensuring year-round connectivity in the Himalayan region.
During the visit, BRO official briefed the media team on Project Yojak’s operations, including maintenance of the world’s longest highway tunnel above 10,000 feet and execution of strategic infrastructure projects. The project was established following the completion of the Atal Tunnel. The journalists were apprised of the challenges faced by BRO personnel while working in extreme conditions, including heavy snowfall and temperatures falling to as low as -30°C, to keep the Manali - Keylong - Leh axis operational throughout the year.
The media team was also briefed on the Nimmu - Padum - Darcha (NPD) axis and the upcoming 4.1-km Shinku La Tunnel. Once completed, the tunnel is expected to provide a third all-weather route to Ladakh through the Zanskar Valley, while improving connectivity to the remote areas of Lahaul-Spiti. The enhanced connectivity is expected to facilitate tourism, trade and local economic activity in the region.
BRO official also highlighted the organisation’s rapid response during weather-related emergencies. In March 2026, heavy snowfall near the South Portal of Atal Tunnel stranded more than 200 vehicles. BRO personnel, in coordination with the police and local administration, undertook rescue and clearance operations, safely evacuating nearly all stranded vehicles within 12 hours. During a flash flood last year, BRO engineers also restored a damaged stretch of the Manali - Keylong highway in less than 12 hours, minimising disruption on the vital route.
The visit provided the media delegation an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into BRO’s sustained efforts to strengthen strategic border infrastructure and ensure reliable all-weather connectivity to remote and strategically important areas of the Himalayan region.
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SS/MSA....