Rohtang pass opens for tourists
Manali
Bringing cheers to thousands of tourists who throng
Himachal to escape the scorching heat of plains, gates of snow-bound Rohtang pass has finally been opened for tourists on Sunday. An official said that
Five to ten feet
thick blanket of silvery white snow would entertain tourists till mid or late
July. The competition to reach mountain top first resulted in a beeline of
hundreds of vehicles that was witnessed on Manali-Rohtang highway throughout
the day. Many tourists were reportedly postponing their holiday plans to Manali
due to closure of Rohtang pass. Now as pass has been thrown open, tourist
season is expected to pick up at full swing.
Rohtang pass
A picturesque view of Rohtang pass, Manali. Pic taken: May 25, 2013
Border Roads
Organization (BRO) had given the road fitness report to Kullu administration on
May 22. After confirming preparations of adequate parking and security,
tourists have finally been allowed to go till Rohtang top, the most preferred
tourist destination of Himachal. Meanwhile, BRO is working against the odds to
keep the highway debris and snow free. However, road has been widened enough to
accommodate two vehicles at a time.
“Our police
personnel are camping at Marhi and would patrol on Rohtang pass from morning to
late evening until each tourist leaves for Manali,” Manali deputy
superintendent of police, Shamsher Singh, said. He added that main job of the
police would be to protect tourists from any kind of trouble and to ensure
smooth movement of traffic. “Depending upon the conditions, a police team may shift
to camps at Rohtang pass. We are also planning to regulate vehicles at Kothi
for smooth conduct of vehicular traffic on congested road.”
Rohtang pass wears deserted look for over five months after heavy snowfall breaks all road
links to this area from both Manali and Keylong sides. The pass experiences
over 40 feet of snow in four months between December and March. Rohtang is the
only tourist spot of India where snow can be found round the year. Perched at
13,050 feet elevation from mean sea level, Rohtang pass is situated 51km north
of Manali in Kullu valley of Himachal Pradesh. Every year over 25 lakh tourists
throng Rohtang to see snow and enjoy winter sports like skiing and sledging.

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