On October 12, 2024, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated 75 critical strategic infrastructure projects of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) virtually from Sukna, Siliguri, marking a significant milestone in the nation’s progress of development and connectivity. Also participating virtually in this event were governors or chief ministers of the eleven states in which these projects were completed.
Constructed in adverse weather and challenging terrain in the world’s highest altitudes and India’s remotest regions, these 75 projects include 22 roads, 51 bridges and two miscellaneous projects, fulfilling vital strategic and security aspects for military deployment against China and Pakistan and enhancing regional connectivity for the benefit of the people of the border states.
The distribution of these 75 projects is as follows: 19 in Jammu and Kashmir, 11 in Ladakh, 18 in Arunachal Pradesh, 9 in Uttarakhand, 6 in Sikkim, 5 in Himachal Pradesh, 2 each in West Bengal and Rajasthan, and 1 each in Nagaland, Mizoram, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Among the 75 projects, the Kupuk-Sherathang road in Sikkim stands out as a vital link on a strategic route connecting Jawahar Lal Nehru Marg with the Zuluk axis, providing uninterrupted connectivity for efficient movement of army troops and equipment in this high-altitude region.
Another noteworthy achievement is the North-South road in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, which links to Indira Point, the southernmost tip of India. These projects are not only developmental milestones but also assert the strategic importance of India’s border and island regions.
Since 2020, when Chinese troops aggressed in Ladakh, in barely five years, the BRO has completed over 450 projects worth Rs 16,000 crore. With the inauguration of these 75 projects, the BRO has completed a total of 111 infrastructure projects in 2024 itself at an overall cost of Rs 3,751 crore. This includes 36 projects worth Rs 1,508 crore, such as the state-of-the-art Sela tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh, the longest twin-lane tunnel in the world, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2024.
In July 2024, Prime Minister Modi conducted the “First Blast” of the Shinkhun La tunnel on the Nimmu-Padam-Darcha road which, along with the Atal tunnel, will provide all-weather connectivity to Leh. Constructed at an altitude of 15,800 feet, it will be the highest tunnel in the world. At 4.1 km long, it is a twin-tube tunnel with unidirectional traffic and cross passages at every 500 metres.
It will reduce travelling time by about 30 minutes and will also serve as a vital link connecting the Lahaul valley in Himachal Pradesh with Zanskar valley in Ladakh. Besides giving a boost to the security and the economy of Ladakh, it will also promote trade, tourism and development in general and bring new opportunities, thus improving the livelihoods of Ladakhi people.
The Chisumle-Demchok road, constructed by BRO at an altitude of 19024 feet, is the world’s highest motorable road over Umlingla, the world’s highest mountain pass connecting Chisumle to Demchok in Southern Ladakh, as has been recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records.
On August 23, 2024, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh laid the foundation stone for India’s highest airfield being constructed by the BRO at Mudh-Nyoma in Eastern Ladakh, with a 2.743 km runway at an altitude of 13,710 ft. This airfield will be developed for wide-ranging strategic air assets at a cost of Rs 218 crores.
Considering the capability differential vis-à-vis India’s main adversary, China, the existing advance landing ground at Nyoma is to be developed into a full-fledged airbase capable of undertaking operations by wide-bodied aircraft like the C-17 and the IL-76 for large-scale deployment of troops and their sustenance by air logistics operations, facilitating defensive and offensive operations by fighters and helicopters, and operations by civil aircraft. The construction of this airfield will tremendously boost the air infrastructure in Ladakh and augment the IAF capability along our northern borders.
The runway of Mudh-Nyoma airfield has been completed in a record timeframe of just two working seasons, and the entire project is expected to be completed by November 2025.
Work on the strategically important 121.74 km long Chushul-Dungti-Fukche-Demchok road (UT of Ladakh) is being undertaken to make it a single-lane national highway by November 2025.
The recently begun Arunachal Frontier Highway will provide inter-valley connectivity in Arunachal Pradesh between Kameng, Subansiri, Siang, Lohit and Tirap valleys. Running parallel to the Line of Actual Control, it will provide induction routes and facilitate faster-than-earlier movement and switching of resources for the army, something which the Chinese are most unhappy about. The Chinese Communist Party believes that progress is its own prerogative and not its adversary’s.
Col Anil Bhat, VSM (Retd), a strategic affairs analyst and former Defence Ministry and Indian Army spokesperson, can be contacted at [email protected].
