Kargil, July 12: Ten years after Kargil conflict got over, it seems that lessons are yet to be learnt.
The beautiful district which hogged media attention during the 1999 conflict still loses connectivity with the state capital during six months of winter as crucial Zojila Pass on the Srinagar Leh Highway (NH1D) gets blocked.
The solution is a 15-km tunnel at Zojila Pass costing about Rs 1,300 crore which can make this route suitable for all weather conditions.
During winter months when mercury goes southwards touching levels of minus 45 degrees here, ill people depend on
the "undependable" air-service run by Army.
For the rest of them, life goes on using products stocked during the rest of the year.
"During winters, one has no option but to use air service of army which is very undependable. They (Army) cite poor weather conditions and often refuse to land," Haji Rangin Ali,
owner of De Zojila hotel here, said.
In 1999, Pakistani infiltrators occupied strategic heights in Drass and Batalik sectors at such a time when the Pass was blocked which left the Indian Army with the only option to wait till snow melts for launching any counter offensive operation.
Bureau Report
