At a time when New Delhi is experimenting for the second time with odd-even rule, the scheme has found an admirer in the Himalayas.
The district administration of Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, has decided to implement odd and even scheme in the Manali-Leh route as a possible solution to end the recurring traffic jams, as per a report by Hindustan Times.
The system is being tried from today onwards.
Under the scheme, on odd dates, vehicles would be allowed from Manali side towards Lahaul Spiti while on even dates, vehicles would be allowed from Lahaul Spiti side towards Manali till the end of the month.
“In view of the safety of people travelling on this route, we decided to adopt the odd and even formula to avoid traffic jam,” Deputy Commissioner (DC) Lahaul Spiti Vivek Bhatia told the paper.
The road between Manali and Koksar on the Manali-Leh highway often gets clogged and it becomes difficult to commute to the tribal district Lahaul Spiti.
The authorities are forced to often carry out rescue operations to evacuate people stranded in the snow-bound areas between Manali and Koksar. The implementation of odd and even scheme comes after the difficulties faced by rescue personnel in doing their job due to heavy traffic.
The Manali-Leh highway passes way through the Rohtang Pass (13,050 ft), Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft), Lachlungla Pass (16,620 ft) and Tanglangla (17,480 ft). It is open for public only for two months in a year. The route serves as an important link to the movement of the armed forces for supplying goods and materials.
(Feature image source: WikiCommons)