After Zoji La avalanche deaths, Ladakh hill council stakes claim on Zero Point

SRINAGAR: A time aft an avalanche struck astatine Zero Point astatine Zoji La, located astatine an altitude of implicit 11,500 ft, sidesplitting 7 radical from Kargil and injuring six others, Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil Saturday accused the Jammu and Kashmir medication of a lax effect and urged the govts of Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K to dainty Zero Point arsenic portion of Ladakh’s territory.Addressing a property league successful Drass, LAHDC-Kargil councillors praised the Army, civilian medication and Ladakh Police for punctual rescue efforts and retrieval of bodies from the snowfall pursuing the mishap connected Friday afternoon. However, they expressed astonishment implicit “J&K Police investigating the incidental connected Saturday morning”. While J&K claimed the country to beryllium portion of its territory, its administrative machinery was ever dilatory to respond erstwhile immoderate mishap occurred there, they alleged.

The councillors, successful fact, disputed J&K’s assertion that Zero Point, stretching astir 5 km, falls nether its jurisdiction.J&K officials support that Zero Point astatine Zoji La marks the bound betwixt Ganderbal territory successful Kashmir and Kargil territory successful Ladakh. The councillors, however, said Zero Point is not a boundary, but a determination utilized for snow-clearance operations by 2 wings of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) --- BEACON and Vijayak, handling the Kashmir and the Ladakh sides, respectively.

The main enforcement councillor of LAHDC-Kargil, Dr Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, said since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of J&K into 2 UTs connected Aug 5, 2019, the bound astatine Zoji La had not been demarcated and Zero Point fell nether Ladakh’s jurisdiction, helium said.Akhoon said dense vehicles should not person been allowed to determination on with airy vehicles connected Friday, and urged authorities to let postulation connected the Srinagar-Kargil roadworthy lone earlier 11 americium to trim the hazard of vehicles getting caught successful avalanches. “Local contented suggests that during March and April, snowfall begins to melt astatine Zoji La successful the afternoon, expanding the hazard of avalanches,” helium said.While praising BRO for “doing a commendable occupation successful keeping Zoji La unfastened during winter”, Akhnoor stressed that “better absorption and information of section contented are needed” to forestall accidents.