Boosting Connectivity To The LAC

Following the Galwan Valley skirmish in 2020 and its aftermath, the Indian government has embarked on an ambitious infrastructure building mission to boost connectivity all the way up to the India-China border. A special report

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The ongoing 2020-21 IndiaChina border skirmishes have been an eyeopener of everyone. The rapid and widespread mobilisation of Indian and Chinese forces at multiple standoff points on the banks of Pangong Tso Lake (Finger-5, 6, 7 and 8), Galwan Valley (Patrolling Point-14) and Hot Springs Sector (Patrolling Points-15 & 17A) have proved the efficacy of having good quality road-infrastructure in those areas. Had it not been the world-class all-weather infrastructure near the LAC (Line of Actual Control) boosting the Indian military's capability of mobilising assets and manpower for countering the hostile build-up, the Chinese would have possibly launched ground incursions deep inside Eastern Ladakh using the strategy earlier implemented in 1962.

Thus, a dense mesh of all-weather metalled roads, railway tracks, bridges and advanced landing grounds (ALGs) near the disputed boundary will prove to be a boon for the Indian military in challenging the enemy's adventurist motives in those areas. These new generation infrastructures will significantly enhance the Indian forces' reach towards frontline positions on the LAC, thus giving the nation a massive strategic leverage over an expansionist neighbour.

Slew of infrastructure projects are either on the verge of completion or are undergoing the process of execution, while many are still in the planning and conceptualisation stage. Following is a peek into the wide gamut of road, rail and airfield infrastructure which are coming up near the Sino-Indian border.

India-China Border Roads (ICBR)