Dodra Kwar gets a road, finally

Locked away between the steep-high Himalayan mountains, Dodra Kwar, one of the remotest inhabited pockets in Himachal Pradesh, has finally got a motorable road connecting it to the rest of the world.

The 61-kilometre-long Larot-Kwar road passes through the scenic Chanshal pass at 12,600 feet above sea level. The unused Chanshal ski slopes are considered the longest in South Asia by experts.This is now expected to attract tourists in large numbers. Dodar Kwar, located in Shimla district, around 200 kilometre from here, remains covered in heavy snow for several months in a year.

“The road has been jointly built by engineers of the state public works department and by the state forest department at a cost of Rs 6.5 crore.The entire upgradation cost will be Rs 27 crore,” state chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said, after opening the road to the cheers of the villagers in the area.

Until now, villagers had to carry their produce and supplies by a hard track on mule backs, which often took several days.

“The journey has now been reduced to a few hours.This will also open up Dodra Kwar to tourists, particularly the Chanshal ski slopes which are considered the longest in South Asia. Skiing could start here soon,” a government official said.