Beating all odds, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has connected Dharchula to Lipulekh (China Border) roads — famously known as Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra Route. Ushering a new era in border area connectivity, the journey time will be reduced considerably and also the difficult trek through treacherous high-altitude the terrain can be avoided.
Presently the Yatra takes more than three weeks and the passage is through Sikkim or Nepal. Just the Lipulekh route had a trek of 90 Km which was through high altitude and this affected the elderly Yatris who had a tough time trekking. With the new connection in place, it is a motorable road and the Yatris can go by cars and complete the yatra.
Says Lt Gen Harpal Singh, DG Border Roads, “Due to constant snowfall, steep rise and fall in temperatures, the construction of the connecting road was delayed. The work was restricted to five months from June to October and this too was hampered as it was time for the movement of the traders. This is the time when traders move for trading with China.” Adding, “There was restriction in construction time and also the flash floods and cloud bursts added to the difficulties faced by the team.”
In the first 20 Km of the stretch there are mountains which have hard rocks and are vertical. Drilling through them, the BRO not only lost many lives but their expensive equipment too was damaged when they fell into Kali Nadi.
According to BRO, despite all odds, in the last two years, BRO increased its output by 20 times. This was possible by using the latest technology and also by creating multiple attack points in the mountains. Helicopters were also used extensively for getting in the heavy equipment and stores. Helicopters were also extensively used to induct hundreds of tons of stores/ equipment into this sector.
More about the Darchula – Lipulekh road
According to BRO it is an extension of Pithoragarh-Tawaghat-Ghatiabagarh road. Originating from Ghatiabagarh, this terminates at Lipulekh Pass, which is considered to be the gateway to Kailash Mansarovar.
It is an 80 Km road and the altitude rises from 6000 feet to 17,060 feet.
The defence minister Rajnath Singh on Friday through video conferencing flagged off a convoy of vehicles from Pithoragarh to Gunji through video conferencing.
With the help of the Uttarakhand administration, this route will not only help the yatris but will make it easy for the traders and the local population to move.
The Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has officially inaugurated the 80 km stretch on Friday and expressed his appreciation for the role of BRO which has managed to complete the project in time and made it easy for the Yatris, the local people living in remote areas.