The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) reopened the crucial Zojila Pass on April 1, 2025, after an unprecedentedly brief 32-day closure. Lieutenant General Raghu Srinivasan, Director General of BRO, flagged off the first convoy towards Ladakh.
Zojila Pass, a vital high-altitude route linking the Kashmir Valley to Ladakh, typically experiences lengthy winter closures due to heavy snowfall. This year, a 17-day period of intense snowfall from February 27 to March 16, 2025, caused by a Western Disturbance, created significant obstacles. Despite the extreme conditions, including sub-zero temperatures, high winds, and avalanche risks, BRO personnel cleared the accumulated snow in a record 15 days, from March 17 to March 31.
The pass’s seasonal closure disrupts the movement of troops, essential supplies, and the daily lives of Ladakh’s residents, who rely on the route for trade, medical access, and economic activity. However, advancements in snow-clearing technology and the dedicated efforts of the BRO have dramatically reduced the closure period from approximately six months decades ago to just a few weeks.
This rapid reopening underscores the efficiency and commitment of the BRO, with Projects Beacon in Kashmir and Vijayak in Ladakh, in maintaining connectivity along this strategically important pass.
