To make their voice heard, hundred of tribals from Lahaul-Spiti gathered at Rahni nullah and circulated pamphlets among thousands of people, including tourists, travelling to both sides of the Pass to apprise them of the poor condition of the highway.
The agitation was led by Dr Chander Mohan Parsheera under the banner of Lahaul-Spiti Janjatiye Kalyan Smiti distributed the pamphlets apprising about how merely 150 meter stretch is standing uncontrolled for the last several years.
Agitating tribal said that they earn their livelihood only between the months of July and September by cultivating high quality green peas and potato. But the continuous traffic jam mainly caused by frequent landslides and improper maintenance of road at Rahni nullah affects most delicate but precious crop of peas, which directly hit the economics of every pocket of this valley and we would not allow it to happen this time.
In the pamphlet, tribal people have suggested a time table for BRO and administration of both Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti to follow. It has been suggested in the time table that during the morning hours traffic should be one way for four hours and vehicles from Lahaul side only should be allowed. While later traffic for three hours should be for tourists and others from Manali side. In the remaining time of the day, BRO should use for maintenance and then after 5 pm tourists should be allowed to return to Manali. Tribals also demanded extra manpower from BRO and efficient traffic police to control the situation as per the timetable given. Earlier, these locals had threatened to the strategically important Manali-Leh highway.
