Umling La is the new highest motorable pass in the world

Khardung La, situated at an elevation of 17,582 ft is no more the highest motorable pass in the world. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) has constructed a new road in the Ladakh region which tops out at an altitude of 19,300 ft from the mean sea level.

The road goes through Umling La, located 230 km from Leh, and connects the villages of Chisumle and Demchok near Hanle. The 86 km stretch was constructed under "Project Himank" of the BRO and is of strategic importance due to its vicinity to the Indo-China border.

According to Brigadier D.M. Purvimath, chief engineer of Project Himank, constructing a road at such an extreme altitude wasn't easy. The temperature at the top ranges from minus 10-20 degree Celsius even during summers and in winters it drops to minus 40 degrees Celsius, while the oxygen levels are 50% lower than the plains. In fact, workers suffered health issues like loss of memory, eyesight and high blood pressure despite going through a three-stage acclimatization regime.

Source: Livemint