Now prior permission has been made mandatory for everyone — both tourists and local residents — to drive through the Atal tunnel at night time when driving conditions are very dangerous. And tourists need to leave Lahaul valley for Manali before 5pm.
Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has opened Atal tunnel for night travel as well. But owing to slippery road conditions due to the deposit of layer of ice on the road surface under extreme cold conditions, the driving has become very risky after 5 pm. Given the safety of the travellers, Lahaul-Spiti administration and police have issued some guidelines to the visitors.
According to district police, no vehicle will be allowed until it obtains permission in an emergency situation to drive in night time. Secondly, the administration on Monday issued clear direction that all vehicles need to leave Sissu (a Lahaul village close to the tunnel) before 5 pm. Otherwise, vehicles will need to take permission from the administration or district disaster management authority.
As work of laying of the power transmission cables from Manali to Lahaul has completed, the 9.02km-long Atal tunnel has opened for vehicular movement in the night time also.
A BRO spokesperson said BRO completed the task of laying of 33KVA electricity cable free of cost after demand from Himachal government and people of Lahaul valley.
“We did this work in night time from 9 pm to 6 am so that traffic movement is not hampered in the day time. Now that work is complete, the tunnel is open for traffic day and night, except 2 pm to 3 pm daily when traffic will be stopped for maintenance works,” he said.
Before this, electricity cables to Lahaul valley were laid across Rohtang pass. The cables used to snap after a heavy snowfall, leaving the valley in dark for months.
However, Lahaul-Spiti police have said vehicles will not be allowed to enter Lahaul valley at night time without seeking permission from the administration.
Lahaul-Spiti SP Manav Verma told a newspaper, “Owning to slippery and dangerous driving conditions, vehicles will not be allowed to move through the tunnel at night time without permission from the district administration.”
It was observed that many tourists, who do not have experience of driving on snow, were struggling with the vehicles and were risking their lives. Black icing on road has become a major danger which many people are unaware of. Icing of the roads begin after sunset; so administration and police have advised tourists to leave the valley before 5 pm.
Ambulances, police, fire and other emergency vehicles may use the tunnel anytime without the need of permission.
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