Brothers and sisters in Ladakh get cut off for six months during winters. Their trade and commerce also shuts along with their education and medical needs. Opening the Zojila Pass which is at an altitude of 11,649 ft earlier enables them to come to Kashmir. Those in Dras and Kargil can also come to Kashmir earlier to carry on their trade, said a Border Roads Organisation official. The strategic 434 km long Srinagar-Leh highway was thrown open to the public by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in a record 68 days. Opening the Zojila Pass earlier has a positive impact on people’s trade and commerce, said the official. In February 2023 we took this decision to open the Zojila Pass earlier. It is a risky activity to open it and maintain safety aspects. We see to it that our workers face no difficulty, harm and take measures to ward off any incident. We called the engineers from both sides and did a thorough analysis. We began the opening of the pass process with a systematic approach. Today, on March 16, 2023 the traffic is able to move on the pass now. The Zojila Pass provides a vital strategic link between Kashmir Valley and Ladakh region. It shuts down by October every year and re-opens by April-May. Usually the total closure time is almost five to six months. With a focus on infrastructure augmentation and connectivity, the pass closure time was delayed. It shut on January 6, 2023 and re-opening in record 68 days creating a new historic precedent. Zojila is the only road that is open today and which connects Ladakh. All the people involved to open the road right from the JEE to the operator, and the labour, hard work was put in by everyone.