Clear Leh-Manali highway in three days: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today asked the Border Roads Organisation to clear the crucial Leh-Manali National Highway within next three days to restore the road link of the region with the rest of the country.

The highway which got swept away by flash floods trigged by a cloudburst on Friday is one of the two road links between the 'cold desert' and other parts of the country.

The chief minister, who visited the flood-ravaged areas of Leh, today held meetings with the officials and asked them to ensure quick and effective relief work.

He later met the BRO chief engineer and directed him to clear the Leh-Manali Highway within three days, but acknowledged that Kargil-Leh portion may take some more time as several bridges got washed away in the floods.

Omar directed the officials to ensure that procedural formalities should not delay relief to the people affected by the cloudburst and subsequent floods. 

The chief minister has also instructed the ministers of his cabinet to avoid visiting the affected areas as it will  divert attention from the ongoing relief works. 

Omar, who visited the affected areas of Saboo, Choglumsar, old Leh town and the Army hospital for the second time since the cloudburst struck on Friday night, interacted with the people and assured them of all help from the state government.