Why in News?

• The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has recently announced that the strategic Zoji La Pass, located at an altitude of 11,650 feet in the Greater Himalayan Range, has been reopened after a winter closure

Highlights

• The Razdan Pass, which connects the Gurez sector to the Kashmir Valley, has also been reopened after a brief winter closure.
• Snow clearance operations were undertaken by Project Beacon and Vijayak from both sides of the pass.
• Zoji La is a high mountain pass located in the Kargil district of Ladakh.
• The pass links Leh and Srinagar and provides an important link between Union Territories of Ladakh and Kashmir.
• Zoji La pass remains closed during winters due to heavy snowfall, cutting off Ladakh region from Kashmir.
• In 2018, the Zoji La tunnel project was launched. The tunnel is Asia’s longest and strategic bi-directional tunnel, which will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar, Kargil and Leh.