Solving The Connectivity Puzzle

The Indian government has embarked on an ambitious infrastructure-building mission to boost connectivity all the way up to the India-China border in the Northeast and Ladakh. An in-depth report by AMARTYA SINHA

- Amartya Sinha

The India-China border skirmishes have been an eyeopener of all policymakers. 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 all-weather road-infrastructure in those areas. Had it not been the world-class 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 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. This article is a peek into the wide gamut of road, rail and airfield infrastructure which are coming up on the Indian side of the Sino-Indian border.

India-China Border Roads (ICBR)