Srinagar, December 11,2025: In view of the approaching winter season, the Divisional Commissioner (Div Com) Kashmir, Anshul Garg, on Wednesday chaired a high-level meeting to review preparedness for regulating vehicular movement at Zojila Pass on the Srinagar–Sonmarg–Gumri (SSG) road, the crucial link connecting the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu & Kashmir.
Top officials from the District Administrations of Kargil and Ganderbal, SSP Rural Kashmir, and officers from BRO, BEACON, and VIJAYAK attended the meeting to ensure coordinated planning for winter mobility and road safety.
Cut-off timings reviewed
Officials informed the Divisional Commissioner that the current cut-off timing for traffic movement is:
- 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM from the Kargil side
- 11:30 AM to 5:00 PM from the Ganderbal side
These timings may be modified based on weather conditions, snowfall, and road status.
Accommodation and safety measures
Div Com Garg instructed the Ganderbal District Administration to arrange accommodation for stranded passengers during snowfall, sudden road closures, or emergencies.
The RTO Kashmir and SSP Rural were directed to ensure that only mechanically fit vehicles are allowed to ply on the SSG road. The RTO was further asked to operationalize weighing bridges along the route to prevent overloading.
Deployment of machinery and emergency services
Emphasising strict compliance with Traffic Department advisories, the Div Com ordered the deployment of recovery cranes along the Zojila stretch. The Mechanical Engineering Department (MED) was instructed to support BEACON with additional snow-clearance machinery.
The Health Department was tasked with ensuring uninterrupted functioning of the Sonmarg hospital and establishing medical camps when necessary.
Joint Control Room for Winter Management
To strengthen communication and emergency response, Div Com Garg directed the establishment of a Joint Control Room comprising officials from the Ganderbal Administration, Police, SDRF, CRPF, and other relevant agencies.
Further, the SSP Traffic and SDRF were asked to deploy adequate personnel to ensure smooth vehicular movement even during harsh winter conditions.
Emergency Vehicle Facilitation
To facilitate movement of emergency vehicles from the Kargil side, the Div Com instructed authorities to issue magisterial permission for tracking and regulating such vehicles.
Communication Strengthening
For efficient flow of information during winter operations, the Div Com ordered the operationalisation of wireless communication sets for nodal officers along the SSG corridor.
Meeting Attendees
The meeting was attended by DC Ganderbal, DC Kargil, SSP Ganderbal, SSP Kargil, and officers from IMD, MED, PWD (R&B), RTO Kashmir, Sonamarg Development Authority, NHIDCL Srinagar/Leh, and representatives from BSNL, Jio, and Airtel.
