Srinagar: A day after an avalanche at the Zero Point in Zoji La, located at an altitude of over 11,500 feet, killed seven Kargil workers and injured six others, the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Kargil on Saturday accused the Jammu and Kashmir administration of lax response and demanded the governments of Union Territory Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir recognize the Zero Point as part of the territory of Ladakh. Requested to agree.Addressing a press conference in Dras, LAHDC-Kargil councilors praised the Army, civil administration and Ladakh Police for the prompt rescue efforts and retrieval of bodies from the snow after the accident on Friday afternoon. However, he expressed surprise at the “investigation of the incident by Jammu and Kashmir Police on Saturday morning”. He alleged that although Jammu and Kashmir claims the area as part of its territory, its administrative machinery is always slow to respond whenever an accident occurs there.In fact, the councilors refuted Jammu and Kashmir’s claim that Zero Point, spread over about five kilometres, falls under its jurisdiction.Jammu and Kashmir officials say the zero point at Zoji La marks the border between Ganderbal district in Kashmir and Kargil district in Ladakh. However, the councilors said the zero point is not a border but a place used for snow clearance operations by two wings of the Border Roads Organization (BRO) – Beacon and Vijayak, which handle the Kashmir and Ladakh sides respectively.Dr Mohammad Jafar Akhoon, Chief Executive Councilor, LAHDC-Kargil, said that since the abrogation of Article 370 and bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories on August 5, 2019, the border at Zoji La has not been demarcated and the Zero Point falls under the jurisdiction of Ladakh.Akhoon said heavy vehicles should not have been allowed to move along with light vehicles on Friday, and urged officials to allow traffic on the Srinagar-Kargil road before 11 am to reduce the risk of vehicles getting stuck in avalanches. “Local knowledge suggests that during March and April, snow begins to melt in Zozi La in the afternoon, increasing the risk of avalanches,” he said.Praising BRO for “doing a commendable job in keeping Zoji La open during winter”, Akhnoor stressed that “better management and consideration of local knowledge is required” to prevent accidents.