Defence News India: In a strong message to China, India has decided that it will continue to develop critical road infrastructure on its side on the country’s border with China.
The decision to push ahead with the development of critical road network comes at a time when Indian and Chinese armies are facing each other at several places in Ladakh region. In the past, China has objected to the development of border infrastructure by India in Ladakh to match Chinese built up.
India’s defence minister Rajnath Singh chaired a high level meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to review the progress of India’s ongoing road development work in border areas.
“The consistent need of boosting the ongoing projects and to expedite the construction of strategic roads, bridges and tunnels in the border areas was discussed,” defence ministry said in a statement.
Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, India has significantly ramped up the development of critical infrastructure at China border to match the development on Chinese side.
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According to the latest official data, the Border Roads Organization (BRO), under the ministry of defence has executed 30 per cent more works in FY 2019-20 (April to March) as compared to FY 2018-19.
“The BRO has worked incessantly even during the restrictions imposed due to COVID-19 without affecting the progress of various projects,” defence ministry added.
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Border Road Organization ensured troops movement despite heavy snow
Defence Ministry said despite unprecedented snowfall, which broke the record of last 60 years, all strategic passes and roads were cleared this year for traffic about one month before their average yearly opening dates.
The Border Roads executed snow clearance works on 149 roads (of 3,965 kilometres) in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
“This ensured rapid and early movement of troops and logistics to forward areas,” defence ministry stated.
Snow clearance ops.
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Border Road Organization uses plastics, textiles for road construction
Defence ministry said the Border Roads Organization has also inducted the latest equipment and machines.
“BRO has introduced modern construction methods after successful trials to expedite works on surfacing with cementations base, use of plastics, geotextiles, etc and various techniques for slope stabilization,” said the statement.
The government has also roped in India’s public sector ship builder GRSE to speed up the process of building bridges in the border areas.
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“Trials have also been carried out successfully for indigenously produced modular bridges in collaboration with Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Limited (GRSE) under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make in India’ initiative,” said the defence ministry.
“This will revolutionize the bridge laying capabilities in forward areas,” the MoD said.
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