The strategic Manali-Leh national highway- 3, closed since November 2023 due to snowfall, has been reopened by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) after five months of closure. The snow clearance operations were carried out by Project Deepak in Himachal Pradesh and Project Himank in Ladakh simultaneously, allowing the road to open for Army vehicles. This 427 km highway is crucial for the movement of armed forces and supplies to forward areas in Ladakh bordering China and Pakistan, serving as an alternate axis to the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway.
Project Deepak cleared the route from Manali to Sarchu, while Project Himank cleared it from Leh to Sarchu, facing challenging conditions including snowstorms and high altitudes. The teams had to negotiate four high altitude passes, including Baralacha La, Nakee La, Lachulung La, and Tanglang La, encountering snow walls up to 20-30 feet high.