Frontier Infrastructure: Loopholes, Scenarios, etc., and Solutions

[pmaitra]

Please do start a thread on the Chinese. No restrictions on the number of threads you can start.

Already started. He is in the process of putting his material together.

 

[ladder]

Wildlife body shoots down Rann road plan for third time - Indian Express

CPWD to build road on Sir Creek

To help forces tackle the difficult terrain of Sir Creek, the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has agreed to build a 10-km stretch of road on marshy land. It will connect border post (BP) number 1175 to 1170. Though there are motorable roads to BP 1175, there is no connectivity between BP 1175 and BP 1131. The distance is 70 km and the area remains unmanned.

On Gujarat border, BSF is set to get its first fleet of 4 fast-attack craft at a cost of nearly Rs 28 crore. The FAC are being imported from the US. Unlike a normal speed boat or all terrain vehicles (ATV), FAC can accommodate nearly 20 security personnel and are equipped with modern surveillance equipment and weapons.

CPWD to build road on Sir Creek - Indian Express

 

[ladder]

Shinde lays foundation of 552km border road

Union home minister SushilkumarShinde on Tuesday laid the foundation stones of two projects - a 552-km-long border road along the Indo-Nepal border and an SSB recruitment and training centre

The minister said that the border road project would be completed by 2016

The CM said the 552-km-long border road, running from Madanpur-Gobarhiya in West Champaran to Galgalia in Kishanganj, would pass through seven districts - West Champaran, East Champaran, Sitamarhi, Madhubani, Supaul , Araria and Kishanganj. He said the road will give a boost to the economy of the border districts and pave way for realignment of roads and construction of a huge network of bridges in the seven districts.

Shinde lays foundation of 552km border road - The Times of India

 

[arnabmit]

@pmiitra @Kunal Biswas @Ray

How necessary do you think a tunnel under Khardung La would be for Siachen access?

An 80kmph 17km tunnel can bypass the otherwise 30kmph 56km of hairpin turns in between South Pullu to North Pullu.

Sinch a 17km tunnel in those conditions with entry and exit portals at 4000mts would be a mammoth task involving hundreds of millions of dollars and approx 8-10yr execution time, do you think such a tunnel would be justified?

 

[Ray]

Any tunnel that avoids high passes and hence the vagaries of weather impeding movement is welcome.

The cost and the engineering feasibility are the issues that must be pondered upon.

 

[pmaitra]

@pmiitra @Kunal Biswas @Ray

How necessary do you think a tunnel under Khardung La would be for Siachen access?

An 80kmph 17km tunnel can bypass the otherwise 30kmph 56km of hairpin turns in between South Pullu to North Pullu.

Sinch a 17km tunnel in those conditions with entry and exit portals at 4000mts would be a mammoth task involving hundreds of millions of dollars and approx 8-10yr execution time, do you think such a tunnel would be justified?

Necessary, yes, but affordable? I don't know.

I think I prefer setting up an airstrip on top of Siachen for the interim.

We need plenty of tunnels in that area, not only for transportation, but also for shelter and housing our troops.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

What are the possibilities of giving a boost to tourism in that sector?

Once the tunnel at Rohtang gets opened up, I would expect hordes of people traveling to Leh. The next logical thing would be to make Turtuk and other areas close to Siachen open to tourists.

Does anyone know about how long would it take for such a project to partially(say 50% in 20 years) recover the costs?

 

[pmaitra]

What are the possibilities of giving a boost to tourism in that sector?

Once the tunnel at Rohtang gets opened up, I would expect hordes of people traveling to Leh. The next logical thing would be to make Turtuk and other areas close to Siachen open to tourists.

Does anyone know about how long would it take for such a project to partially(say 50% in 20 years) recover the costs?

Good idea. Open up those areas to tourists, and generate revenue, which can be used directly to help infrastructure projects. I didn't think of it this way. As of now, tourists are already visiting Pangong Tso (west side).

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

God idea. Open up those areas to tourists, and generate revenue, which can be used directly to help infrastructure projects. I didn't think of it this way. As of now, tourists are already visiting Pangong Tso (west side).

May be this is the idea behind Rohtang tunnel(for smooth access to Ladakh). I would like to see new developments on this front.

 

[arnabmit]

Rohtang Tunnel & Shinkhula Tunnels were envisioned post independence but kept in dark dusty file cabinet. Proposals were brought out immediately after Kargil War and NDA wanted to start construction right away. However UPA regime managed to start construction of Rohtang Tunnel in 2010 with a completion target of 2015.

However All weather access to Leh is not feasible till Shinkhula Tunnel is also built. Rohtang Tunnel just bypasses the Rohtang Pass, where as the Skinkhula (Singo La) tunnel will bypass 4 other high altitude snow clad passes by offering an alternate route via Padum and Zanskar Valley.

So till the time Both Rohtang & Shinkhula or Both Z-Morh & Zojila Tunnels are built, year round tourism is not feasible. Guess we would have to wait till 2020 for that.

Read More: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/defence-strategic-issues/50797-frontier-infrastructure-loopholes-scenarios-etc-solutions-3.html#post729018

May be this is the idea behind Rohtang tunnel(for smooth access to Ladakh). I would like to see new developments on this front.

 

[Sakal Gharelu Ustad]

Rohtang Tunnel & Shinkhula Tunnels were envisioned post independence but kept in dark dusty file cabinet. Proposals were brought out immediately after Kargil War and NDA wanted to start construction right away. However UPA regime managed to start construction of Rohtang Tunnel in 2010 with a completion target of 2015.

However All weather access to Leh is not feasible till Shinkhula Tunnel is also built. Rohtang Tunnel just bypasses the Rohtang Pass, where as the Skinkhula (Singo La) tunnel will bypass 4 other high altitude snow clad passes by offering an alternate route via Padum and Zanskar Valley.

So till the time Both Rohtang & Shinkhula or Both Z-Morh & Zojila Tunnels are built, year round tourism is not feasible. Guess we would have to wait till 2020 for that.

Read More: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/defence-strategic-issues/50797-frontier-infrastructure-loopholes-scenarios-etc-solutions-3.html#post729018

I am waiting eagerly for the day when we can go skiing in Ladakh!

 

[Simple_Guy]

Hindustan-Tibet road revived by Himachal Pradesh

The treacherous highway, which connects the trans-Himalayan Buddhist area of Kinnaur and neighbouring Spiti to the rest of Himachal Pradesh, travels largely parallel to the mighty flood-prone Satluj river in Kinnaur district. It remains disrupted between a 100-km stretch from Wangtoo and Khab at one point or another owing to flooding in the river.

The decision on re-laying the Hindustan-Tibet road is significant as it will come as another lifeline for scores of villages, dotted with apple orchards, which otherwise remain cut off owing to the snapping of the highway. Under the plan, the Hindustan-Tibet road will be revived with its slight realignment to have the minimum river crisscrossing.

The 40-km new road, which will be aligned along the Hindustan-Tibet road, will bifurcate from the existing highway after the Wangtu bridge and pass through Karcham, Peo, Pangi, Thopan , Rarang and Kirang Khad on the right bank before rejoining it. The highway ends at Sumdoh in Spiti subdivision, 330 km from here and close to the Chinese border.

 

[arnabmit]

They are building Z-Morh & Zojila Tunnels to make NH1D an all weather road. However, during war time, the stretch between Drass and Kargil of NH1D would still remain venerable to attacks from the heights which straddles the LOC.

An alternate route could have been used to ensure connectivity without threats from across LOC

Yellow: New road to be constructed
Orange: existing road to be double-laned
Red: Tunnels

 

[Kunal Biswas]

First loco to run on the JIRIBAM - DHOLAKHAL (12 km) section under JIRIBAM - IMPHAL new rail line project on 22nd March 2012.

 

[pmaitra]

PLA Camp well inside Indian territory.

Refer to this: http://defenceforumindia.com/forum/...an-territory-arunachal-pradesh-has-begun.html

 

[drkrn]

What are the possibilities of giving a boost to tourism in that sector?

Once the tunnel at Rohtang gets opened up, I would expect hordes of people traveling to Leh. The next logical thing would be to make Turtuk and other areas close to Siachen open to tourists.

Does anyone know about how long would it take for such a project to partially(say 50% in 20 years) recover the costs?

i worked previously for a firm doing such project in J&k.a tunnel of 9 kms in that place will take around 10 years at estimated 2500 crore rupees (wrt dollar price)(as far as i remember)constructing such tunnels largely depends upon soil quality

it will definitely improve local infrastructure and tourism in such areas

 

[drkrn]

Leighton Welspun :: Chenani-Nashri Tunnel

 

[ladder]

BSF approaches road institute to fence border in Gujarat

After failing to get help from the IITs, the BSF has approached the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) to fence an over 100-km area along the 340-km Pakistan border in Gujarat.

Since Independence, the area has remained unfenced due to adverse weather and the swamp in the Rann of Kutch.

"We also have to construct BOPs, roads and install floodlights along the border. This has not been possible due to adverse weather and a difficult terrain," said a BSF official.

The Central Public Works Department and National Building Construction Corporation, which had been tasked with the construction, have expressed inability. The agencies had approached IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur on behalf of the BSF to come up with a solution to fence the border. "When the IITs failed to provide a solution, we approached the CRRI. They are yet to submit a report," said the official.

In the absence of a fence, BSF jawans keep a constant vigil in the area braving extreme weather conditions.

Keeping this in mind, the Ministry of Home Affairs is actively considering sanctioning a "hardship allowance" to BSF men posted in the Rann of Kutch. A similar allowance is given to jawans posted in Maoist-affected areas and Jammu and Kashmir.

"Over 80 per cent of the land in this area is almost always inundated. We get little time to construct anything. The high salt content corrodes poles and degenerates roads," said the official.

Officials are also exploring the use of stabilised operating platforms for surveillance in this area.

BSF approaches road institute to fence border in Gujarat - Indian Express

 

[arnabmit]

They might try the plastic roads like in Bangalore...

KK Plastic Roads. Best way to eradicate Plastic waste

Plastic roads, a way ahead to reuse plastic waste - Times Of India

Bangalore: Paving greener ways through plastic

BSF approaches road institute to fence border in Gujarat - Indian Express

 

[ladder]

They might try the plastic roads like in Bangalore...

Inundation is major problem and then acidic environment.

Though the article doesn't talk about the problem in detail, therefore the exact nature of problem can't be gauged.

Also a place which suffers from frequent inundations can't provide good foundation for the axle load that is required.

Also, fencing and fence maintenance will be a issue.