Strategic road development - News/Discussions

[RAM]

Green norms stalling border roads: Army

NEW DELHI: Alarmed at the excruciatingly slow progress in construction of border roads, Army wants infrastructure build-up within 50 km of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as well as Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan to be exempted from requisite environmental and other clearances. "Huge delays in getting environmental clearances are jeopardising national security. Construction of strategically important roads should be exempted from all this," said a senior officer. While environmental activists are opposed to this proposal because of fragile ecosystems in the regions concerned, the Army contends that clearances under the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 and Wildife (Protection) Act of 1972 in some cases have been pending for a good four years or so.

"The government, in consultation with the environment ministry, had held in March 2006 that all cases of environmental clearances should be finalised in four months. But this is clearly not happening," said the officer. Consequently, only 12 out of the 73 all-weather roads earmarked for construction along the unresolved 4,056-km LAC with China have actually been completed till now, as first reported by TOI.

"The 12 roads measure just around 520 km out of the total 3,808 km required for the 73 roads," said another officer. In contrast, in addition to the already quite adverse combat ratio with China, Beijing has built several air, road and rail links in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) over the last decade.

The People's Liberation Army can now mobilise well over two divisions (30,000 soldiers) from the hinterland to its "border launch pads" in less than three weeks now compared to the three-four months it would have taken earlier. China has also ramped up its strategic airlift capability by upgrading/building as many as 27 airstrips in TAR.
While India in recent years has shed its defensive mindset about road construction along the LAC, it has not translated into much concrete action on the ground. The tedious process in getting environmental clearances as well as fund allocation has proved to be a major obstacle. "Manpower shortages in Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and locally-available labour in high-altitude areas have also contributed to the problem," the officer said.

Of the 73 roads, 61 are being constructed by BRO, while the rest have been allocated to CPWD and state PWDs. These roads cover all the three sectors of LAC -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal) -- and include more east-west lateral links as well as better access routes to strategic peaks and valleys. Twenty-seven of them fall in Arunachal, 19 in Uttarakhand, 14 in J&K, seven in Himachal and six in Sikkim. "They are needed to not only swiftly move troops, artillery and other equipment to border areas if required but also to strengthen our claim over disputed areas," the officer said.

India, of course, has taken other steps to strategically counter China's massive build-up of infrastructure along LAC. After reactivating western sector ALGs (advanced landing grounds) like Daulat Beg Oldi, Fukche and Nyama in eastern Ladakh, eastern sector ALGs like Pasighat, Mechuka, Walong, Tuting, Ziro and Vijaynagar as well as several helipads in Arunachal are now being upgraded.
Then, apart from beginning to deploy Sukhoi-30MKI fighters in the north-east, two new specialised infantry mountain divisions (over 30,000 soldiers) and an artillery brigade for Arunachal are also being raised.

Green norms stalling border roads: Army - India - The Times of India

 

[enlightened1]

BRO to hire helicopter agencies to expedite road construction in Arunachal Border

BRO to hire helicopter agencies to expedite road construction in Arunachal Border​

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57129​

http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57129http://pib.nic.in/release/release.asp?relid=57129

The Minister of State for Defence Shri MM Pallam Raju has asked the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to explore the possibility of hiring helicopters from outside agencies to expedite construction of strategic roads in Arunachal Pradesh and other Himalayan border states. Presiding over a meeting of the Border Roads Development Board (BRDB) in Itanagar last evening, Shri Pallam Raju stressed on the need to build infrastructure right upto the border areas.

The Director-General, Border Roads Lt. General MC Badhani informed the meeting that the Indian Air Force airlift capability was extremely low, leading to delays in most border roads in Arunachal beyond 2013. Against BRO’s need of 3,500 tons last year, only 400 tons was actually airlifted. The Pawan Hans has submitted an initial proposal to partially meet the BRO’s helicopter requirements in the North-East, said General Badhani, but their pilots were not trained for hanging payloads that need to be airdropped in inaccessible places lacking landing sites. Over 75 percent of BRO’s road construction projects are in High Altitude Areas, he added. The BRO is presently building 2,764 kms of the total 5,061 kms road length in Arunachal Pradesh alone.

Pointing out that the earthmovers and machinery deployed in snowbound areas were reduced to a life span of just 30 percent of their optimum level, Engineer-in-Chief Lt. General AK Nanda assured that the Utility Factor was obsolete to the BRO’s present day working environment and would be revised soon.

Expressing concern that the fatality rate is highest in the BRO amongst any force in the country, General Badhani said even the Army did not deploy men in difficult areas beyond two-three years. Seeking road construction projects in the hinterland as well, General Badhani said the BRO men were too stressed, working all their career in very difficult areas and cut away from their families. The Secretary, BRDB, Shri Subhash Sharma said that the BRO had a very high fatality rate of nine in ten days, much higher than the fatality rate of the Army battalions in Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier yesterday Shri Pallam Raju inaugurated a War Memorial at a World War-II cemetery at Jairampur in Arunachal’s Changlang district. The cemetery is located on the Stillwell Road built by the Allied Forces, linking Ledo in Assam, passing through Myanmar and running right upto China. Only two of the nearly 1,000 graves, believed to be of US, Chinese and Taiwanese soldiers, were found during the road reconstruction project in February, 1999.

Shri Pallam Raju also inaugurated the 3-day Pangsau Pass Winter Festival at Nampong, Changlang alongwith Arunachal Chief Minister Shri Dorje Khandu.

Samir PK

 

[Anshu Attri]

Pawan Hans grounding stalls China border roads


http://ajaishukla.blogspot.com/2011/05/pawan-hans-grounding-stalls-china.html

Above: The track that is being upgraded into the Thingbu-Mago-Chuna road.
Below: A view of Mago village, the first inhabited Indian village after crossing from Tibet into India over Tulung La

The grounding of helicopter operator Pawan Hans' fleet after two shocking accidents in a fortnight near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, has claimed another casualty: Border Roads Organisation's strategic road building programme along the Sino-Indian border. With Pawan Hans helicopters no longer available to ferry bulldozers and materials to road building sites in remote areas, this crucial programme is experiencing further delays.

On 19th April, a Pawan Hans Mi-172 helicopter had crashed near Tawang, killing 17 passengers and crewpersons and grievously injuring five more. On 30th April, another Pawan Hans AS350 B3 helicopter crashed near Sela Pass, killing Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, Dorjee Khandu and four others on board. Since then, Pawan Hans has suspended operations in the northeast.

These grounded helicopters have been central to the BRO's success in by-and-large meeting tough road building schedules. Building sequentially, i.e. starting from one end of a proposed road and working steadily to the other end is a slow process. Instead, the BRO divides the road into segments, selecting multiple "attack points", to which road building materials are heli-lifted. Work then proceeds simultaneously from each attack point.

Amongst the first to be affected is the crucial road being built from Thingbu towards the 18,000-foot Tulung La Pass on the border, so far just a mule track on which the Chinese infiltrated in 1961 to outflank Indian troops ensconced on the mighty Se La Pass. Since the BRO was using a Pawan Hans Mi-172 helicopter to carry a dismantled bulldozer to Thingbu, building has been stalled until it flies again. The Indian Air Force has already expressed its inability to support BRO road building, since its helicopters are fully committed in provisioning the army's remote border outposts.

Also stalling are several other BRO roads in the northeast, where 6 of the 27 roads it is building are facing schedule slippages. Another 12 border roads that the BRO is building along the Sino-Indian border in Ladakh are not affected by the Pawan Hans grounding.

However, the Director General Border Roads (DGBR), Lieutenant General S Ravi Shankar, struck an upbeat note at the BRO's 51st Raising Day celebrations today, declaring that these 39 roads would be completed by 2013. He said 25% of the BRO's current annual budget of Rs 5400 crores is earmarked for Sino-Indian border roads.

These 39 roads are merely the beginning of an ambitious MoD project to bring connectivity to the Sino-Indian border. Top MoD sources tell Business Standard that the MoD's General Staff Long Term Perspective Plan (or GS-LTPP) caters for Rs 57,000 crore to be spent by the BRO on new Sino-Indian border roads by 2022.

Despite that, India trails China substantially in building border infrastructure. Lt Gen Shankar explains: "It is not fair to compare us with China. They began work in the 1970s and 1980s. In those days, we were making single-lane roads, which we thought would be enough. Today we have more money and our thinking is different, so we are double-laning those earlier roads. We are moving very fast since 2007."

Senior BRO officers highlight another emerging problem in executing its expanded road-building programme, which the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) monitors closely. The rolling out of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) has resulted in growing reluctance amongst labourers --- traditionally recruited from eastern states like Jharkhand, Orissa and Bihar --- to leave their villages for the gruelling manual work involved in building border roads.

"The BRO cannot pay its casual labour more than the minimum wage prescribed by the central government, or by the state government where they work, whichever is greater. That amounts to Rs 120-170 per day, even in the tough conditions in which they work and live. As a result, they prefer to obtain employment at home under NREGA," says the DGBR.

Also depleting the BRO's traditional labour pool is the growing demand from companies that are building hydel power projects in Arunachal. "The hydel companies come and offer our labourers Rs 25 more than us; what can we do?" complains another BRO officer.

At a meeting with the Minister of State for Defence, MM Pallam Raju, on 5th May, the BRO proposed additional incentives for its workers, including subsidised rations, kerosene and clothing, to compensate them for the difficult living conditions in hand-built shanties by the side of under-construction roads.

Alongside its 36,600 permanent employees, the BRO has a workforce of about one lakh casual labourers. Over the last 51 years, the BRO has built a 48,300-kilometre network of border roads in India, 36 kilometres of major bridges, and 19 airfields.

In Afghanistan, the BRO has constructed the challenging 215-kilometre Delaram-Zaranj road at a cost of Rs 600 crore, finishing six months ahead of time with no cost overrun. In Myanmar, it has built the 160-kilometre road connecting Tamu-Kalemyo-Kalewa. In Bhutan, the BRO has built a high percentage of the roads, as well as the international airport at Paro. And, in Tajikistan, at India's only overseas military base in Ainyi, BRO rebuilt the runway.

 

[Anshu Attri]

cross posting....
Work on Shinkula tunnel likely to start soon


http://www.tribuneindia.com/2011/20110505/himachal.htm#4

Shimla, May 4

Having an all-weather connectivity to border areas in Ladakh through Manali may finally be translated into reality as based on the pre-feasibility studies, the Defence Ministry can soon pave the way for the construction of the Shinkula tunnel, immensely important for India from the strategic angle.

The Project Deepak, after completing the pre-feasibility studies based on the weather data collected during the peak of last winter, will soon write to the Ministry of Defence to undertake a proper feasibility study as the only option to have unhindered access on the 470-km Manali-Leh road is by way of a tunnel under the 15,920-ft Shinkula Pass.

"We are writing to the Army headquarters for undertaking a proper feasibility report," confirmed IR Mathur. The Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) also recently set up its camp at Shikula to have a data base which will help in execution of the tunnel project. Work on the Rs 1,500-crore Rohtang tunnel is already underway.

The length of the tunnel will be between four to five km and the estimated cost is likely to touch Rs 800 crore. The tunnel will not only provide the connectivity but also reduce the distance to Ladakh by 100 km and will help in bypassing the four lofty mountain passes of Baralacha La, Thaglang La, Nakila and Lachung La.

"We are exploring the possibility of having a road through the area with the provision of snow clearance during summers, but seeing almost 20 feet of snow accumulation in the area this winter, having a tunnel seems mandatory," said sources.

 

[Patriot]

Indo-China Border Roads To Be Completed By 2013

 

[Anshu Attri]

India to have road to Siachen by 2022


Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine

Crisscrossing ravines, streams and mountains, it took India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru nine days to reach the Bhutanese capital of Thimpu in 1958. Since then, India's Border Roads Organisation (BRO) has constructed a network of 1,500 km of roads, two airfields and a number of helipads.

Now, it is intensifying its work to answer China's infrastructure development in Tibet as well its reported presence in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Therefore, the BRO, an extension of the Indian Army, is building 558 roads totalling 27,986 km by 2030 at a cost of Rs 5,000 crore.

These roads would connect India's borders and build a road network to the Siachen glacier.

A road is also being developed through Bhutan to have faster access from Assam to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Such is the seriousness and urgency that the BRO has reserved 25 per cent of its Rs 5,400 crore annual allocation to build networks along the Chinese borders.

In the past decade, China has constructed three major highways totalling about 6,000 km and 55 smaller roads along the Indian border.


Western media reports have suggested the presence of Chinese military engineers in PoK working on infrastructure projects to link the Chinese province of Xingjian with the Gwadar port in Baluchistan to provide the Chinese a window to the Arabian Sea.

They are also working to build highways in Skardo, across Kargil, and are carrying out a feasibility study for a Karakoram-Dushanbe road through the Kuliab Pass to connect Gilgit-Baltistan region of the PoK with Tajikistan.

BRO Director General Lt. Gen S Ravi Shankar says they would have a road to Siachen by 2022. Expected to be India's costliest and highest motorable road, at 15,000 feet, it would bring down the cost of guarding the Siachen glacier and bring India's forces at par with the Pakistanis who have a motorable road till the last post.

Further, the construction of a strategic 8.8 km Rohtang Tunnel, to be built at over 3,000 metres in the Pir Panjal range, will also provide unhindered road access to the remote regions of Lahaul-Spiti and Pangi Valley in Ladakh.

The BRO is fast-tracking 73 China-Indian border roads by moving 61 units of BRO to Jammu and Kashmir, seven units to Himachal Pradesh, 33 units to Uttarakhand, 46 units to Arunachal Pradesh and 21 units to Sikkim.

China has already completed three major highways between Lhasa in Tibet and Aksai Chin in the west of the country (3,105 km), Gormo in the central mainland to Lhasa (1,154 km) and Chengdu and Linzhi in the east of the country (1,715 km).

The 52 other roads linked to these highways are spread over China's western, central and eastern regions.

 

[Pintu]

Strategic bridge to connect J&K with Punjab - The Economic Times

21 May, 2011, 08.22PM IST,PTI
Strategic bridge to connect J&K with Punjab

PATHANKOT: A strategically key bridge over the river Ravi connecting Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir will be inaugurated on Monday.

An Army spokesman said here the inauguration will take place on Monday by UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi with Defence Minister A K Antony and Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in attendance.

"The bridge is of immense strategic importance as it is the first such bridge in northern India. It is a 592-metre long bridge, only the third of its kind in India after Hoogly and Mumbai bridges.

The people of Jammu and Kashmir will get an alternative route besides the national highway to connect with Kashmir, a Defence communique said.

 

[Anshu Attri]

Lt-Gen Ghosh reviews progress of work on Rohtang tunnel

The Tribune, Chandigarh, India - Himachal Pradesh Edition


Manali, June 5
Lt-Gen SR Ghosh, AVSM, SM, ADC, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Western Command, today visited the Rohtang tunnel site and reviewed the progress of the tunnel.

After completion, the 8.8-km-long Rohtang tunnel will reduce the distance between Manali and the Lahaul valley by nearly 46 km.

The Rohtang tunnel will be strategically important to the Army in the border areas of Leh and Ladakh.

In a press note here, Col Adm Commandant Arun Kainthla said the General Officer had surveyed the pace of progress of the Rohtang tunnel. The tunnel would make the strategic Manali-Leh road operational throughout the year, which at present was used only during the summer months between June and October. The tunnel, after completion, would also provide all-weather connectivity to Lahaul district and the Pangi valley which gets cut off from the Manali side during winter months due to heavy snow on the 13,050-feet-high Rohtang Pass.

 

[arnabmit]

Any update on Rohtang Tunnel, Shinkula Tunnel or Siachen Road?

 

[arnabmit]

A bypass tunnel to Lachulung La would also make sense...

Just zoom in and look at the road!!!

33.1,77.633333 - Google Maps

cross posting....
Work on Shinkula tunnel likely to start soon


The length of the tunnel will be between four to five km and the estimated cost is likely to touch Rs 800 crore. The tunnel will not only provide the connectivity but also reduce the distance to Ladakh by 100 km and will help in bypassing the four lofty mountain passes of Baralacha La, Thaglang La, Nakila and Lachung La.

 

[arnabmit]

The map of Rohtang Tunnel

Green=Approach road
Red=The Tunnel

Google Maps

 

[arnabmit]

The map of Shinkula tunnel

Green=Approach road
Red=The Tunnel
Yellow=Zanskar River Valley road to Leh

Google Maps

 

[arnabmit]

Z-Morh tunnel is the first of two tunnels that will ensure connectivity between Srinagar and Ladakh round the year.
Rahul lays foundation for Z-Morh tunnel in J&K - The Hindu

The 6.5 km-long tunnel gets its name from its Z formation between here and Gagangir that would avoid the regions of snowfall and avalanches and ensure connectivity with Srinagar. The two-lane, 10 metre-wide tunnel will be constructed at a cost of Rs. 2,716.90 crore. It will also include an egress of 3.5 metres to be used in emergency.

1,000 vehicles an hour

The tunnel, located 2,637 metres above sea level, will ensure the passage of 1,000 vehicles an hour at an approved maximum speed of 80 km per hour.

The Z-Morh tunnel is the first of the two proposed tunnels, which together will provide all-weather connectivity between Srinagar-Kargil-Leh and Ladakh.

The second — the Zojila Tunnel — of 13.8 km length just about 20 km away from this point is estimated to cost Rs. 5,500 crore and is likely to be approved by the Union government soon. The foundation for this tunnel is likely to be laid in April.

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is executing the project. Its bidding will be finalised in a week or two. BRO DG Lt.-Gen. S. Ravi Shankar said he was confident the project would be completed ahead of the August 2018 deadline.

Supporting these two tunnels are the Chenani-Nashri and Banihal-Quazigund tunnels, which are under construction to ensure connectivity with the valley and Jammu and the rest of the country.

Less travel time

Once all four tunnels are put in place, the journey from Jammu to Ladakh will be reduced from 50 to about 30 hours. The entire stretch will become motorable throughout the year.

 

[arnabmit]

BRO Builds Bridge On River Ravi

Construction work for a permanent bridge over river Ravi to link three North Indian states- Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab will kick start tomorrow when the Chairperson of the National Advisory Council Smt Sonia Gandhi lays the foundation stone for the project at Basohli in J&K.

The bridge will also open up new areas for development and tourism in Kathua and Doda diastricts in J&K and along Ranjit Sagar Dam. The 592 metre bridge, to be built by the Border Raods Organisation of the Ministry of Defence at a cost of Rs 145 Crores, will open up an alternative route to National Highway 1A and to the Kashmir Valley via Basholi, Bani, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar, Chhatroo and Anantnag and boost development of these areas with better connectivity.

Scheduled to be constructed by September 2014, the bridge will open up avenues for commercial mining of materials like Gypsum and Lime stone.

Indicative of the significance of the occasion, a galaxy of dignitaries including the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony, Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare Shri Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister for New & Renewable Energy Dr Farooq Abdullah, the Chief Minister of J&K Shri Omar Abdullah, the Minister of State for Defence Dr MM Pallam Raju will attend the function. The Defence Secretary Shri Pradeep Kumar and the Director General Border Roads Lt Gen Ravi Shankar will also be present on the occasion.

From a technical point of view, the Basohli bridge is going to be a technological marvel. It will be a cable-stayed bridge, similar to the Second Hoogly bridge at Kolkotta, Naini Bridge at Allahabad and the Rajiv Gandhi Sea Link at Mumbai. The Basohli bridge will have a tower height of about 88 metres above deck level. The decking and the span regions will only be supported by cables. There will be 1.5 metre wide footpaths on both sides. The contract for the construction of the bridge has been awarded to M/S IRCON-SPS Construction Pvt Ltd.

Strategic bridge to connect J&K with Punjab - The Economic Times

21 May, 2011, 08.22PM IST,PTI
Strategic bridge to connect J&K with Punjab

 

[arnabmit]

Award for Z- Morh tunnel a step towards all weather connectivity to Ladakh: C.P. Joshi

New Delhi, Mar. 13 (ANI): Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Dr. C.P. Joshi has said that construction of Z- Morh tunnel in Jammu and Kashmir will ensure a step towards accessibility to Ladakh area throughout the year.

Speaking here today after the award of construction of tunnel at Z-Morh on NH-1 (old NH-1D) in the State of Jammu and Kashmir on BOT (Annuity) basis, last evening, Dr. Joshi said that besides enhancing the safety of the road users, the project will also help in comprehensive development in all fields of this area.

The Letter of Award (LOA) for the 6.50 km Z-Morh tunnel (and 6.050 km approaches) on NH-1 was awarded last evening to M/s. Soma Enterprises Ltd. The implementating agency for the project is Border Road Organisation (BRO).

The Concession Period for the Rs. 2716.90 crore project is 20 years (5 years construction, 15 years maintenance). The quoted semi-annuity by concessionaire is s.234.70 crore.

Besides this tunnel, proposal for another 13.95 km Zojila Tunnel (single tube bi-directional tunnel with parallel egress tunnel and 10.820 km approaches) is under progress.
The construction of Zojila Tunnel in continuation of Z -Morh Tunnel is necessary in order to establish all weather connectivity to Kargil and Leh. This project is expected to be taken up at an early date.

The above two projects located on NH-1 between Srinagar Leh would not only be important for servicing the strategic interests of India, but also for the survival of people of Ladakh and their socio-economic development. (ANI)

======================================================================

I understand your pain: Rahul in J&K - Indian Express Mobile

Mir-ehsan : Srinagar | Apr 07, 2013

Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi, who arrived here on a two-day visit, said he wants to build a long-term relationship with Kashmiri people, especially the youth. "I am aware that you have suffered a lot. My first step is to build a strong relationship with you,'' Rahul said while addressing villagers who had assembled to witness the foundation of Zojilla tunnel at Z Morh.

Rahul said when he came to Kashmir last year he was informed that Ladakh road remains cutoff from rest of the country. "This year we have laid the foundation of the tunnel and it stands as a sign of development. I have advised the authorities to complete it as soon as possible. I have been here in the past, I am here today, and I will try to come more often in future," he said.

 

[nrj]

BRO is doing excellent work!

 

[arnabmit]

Bhaderwah Chamba road likely to be completed by 2014 Lastupdate:- Thu, 11 Jul 2013 18:30:00 GMT Jammu.GreaterKashmir.com

Doda, July 10: The up-gradation of 42 Kilometer Bhaderwah –Chamba road is likely to be completed by next year end thus providing Jammu and Kashmir state alternate surface link with the rest of the country.

Being constructed by PWD (R&B) Department, through MG Contractors Pvt. Ltd, about 15 kilometer portion of the road has been completed, while the work on remaining stretch is in full swing and is likely to be completed by the end of next year.

The information was given to District Development Commissioner, Doda Mubarak Singh who, along with a team of district administration inspected the pace of work on the road here today.

Project Manager MGCPL, Kultar Singh, apprised the DDC that out of 42 Km long road, 15 Km have been completed and blacktopped.

It was also apprised that the 42 Km road has three bridges and work on superstructures of two have been completed , while as work on the remaining one bridge is in progress and the inter –state road project is expected to be complete in all respects by the end of 2014.

Earlier, the DDC also inspected the pace of work on inter-District 166 Km Bhaderwah-Bani – Basohli road being constructed by the GREF.

The DDC conducted enroute inspection up to Chattergalla pass and directed the executing agency to expedite the pace of work and ensure its early completion, he asked GREF authorities to carry out simultaneous protection works on the road like construction of retaining walls to avoid damages to the road and public property due to rain and snow.

He directed the Revenue and GREF authorities to conduct joint survey to demarcate the land so that the widening at these stretches was carried out effectively. He also directed them to expedite the process of land acquisition and compensation disbursement to avoid delay in the work due to pendency of the same.

At Paneja Bhaderwah, GREF authorities apprised the DDC that there was a need for up-gradation of the existing bridge as per the two lane specifications and sought the cooperation of the concerned departments in shifting the public utilities to facilitate the work . The DDC directed PDD Department to shift the poles and conductors which may hamper the construction work.

Later, interacting with the locals, the DDC said that with the completion of work on Bhaderwah-Bani-Basohli and Bhaderwah- Chamba roads, the people of erstwhile Doda and Kathua districts would have an all weather double lane alternate road connectivity with rest of the country.

"With the construction of proposed 6 km long tunnel on 166 Km Bhaderwah-Bani road at Chhatergalla, the distance between the two points will be cut by about 50 Km , while the roads once made through will open flood-gates for the tourists from within and outside the State thus giving further boast to the fast growing tourism industry in the area" , the DDC hoped.

 

[arnabmit]

India to lay 14 strategic railway lines near China, Pak border - The Times of India

NEW DELHI: As part of preparations to meet challenges from China and Pakistan, India is planning to lay 14 strategic railway lines close to borders with these two countries to help in easier and faster movement of troops.

The railway lines are besides 73 roads being constructed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, sources said in Delhi on Sunday.

Out of the 14 planned railway lines, survey has been completed for 12, they said.

The railway lines have been planned in Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.

Of the 73 roads with a total length of 3812 km, laying of 61 roads covering 3,404 km have been assigned to Border Roads Organisation (BRO), the sources said.

27 of the 61 roads are being constructed in Arunachal Pradesh, 12 in Jammu and Kashmir, 14 in Uttarakhand, five in Himachal Pradesh and three in Sikkim.

17 roads have been completed, they said. Out of 73 roads, 12 are being constructed by Central Public Works Department (CPWD) for ITBP, they said.

The infrastructure development is being carried out as China has made strides in this regard and India is lagging much behind.

Defence minister AK Antony conceded in Parliament last month that China is "superior" in terms of border infrastructure as India was late in deciding on building roads and other capabilities near the LAC because of the impact of the 1962 war.

He had described it as a "collective failure" of all the successive governments.

Antony, who was answering questions on increased intrusions by Chinese troops, had said all steps were being taken to safeguard national security while seeking a peaceful solution to the long-pending boundary disputes between the two sides.

"I have no hesitation to say that China is in a better position than India in terms of border infrastructure. It is a mistake, it is all of us who are to be held collectively responsible for it. It is a historical legacy," he had said.

After "years of neglect", he said India is fast developing capabilities near the China border, including building of roads, raising of two mountain divisions and setting up many new airfields and landing grounds.

"...If you compare overall, in the last ten years, our government has developed maximum infrastructure in those areas," he said.

The increased incursions by Chinese troops have lately resulted in some incidents of face-off.

Commenting on those situations, Antony had said, "Infrastructure is coming up in disputed areas (along the LAC) also. Patrols are coming closer and as a result, we see there are incursions. They come and go, they come and go and sometimes, situations of face-off also take place. We feel we can go to the areas we feel are ours and they also do so."

 

[astrafan]

I thought perhaps it would be best if IAremed Forces worked on a logistics system that's completely independant of roads.
1. Set up a National Supply Depot Grid, a simple base with nothing more than a 1000 sq. feet plot of land with necessary security arrangement, 100 km apart, north to south/east to west.
2. India's about 3000km both ways, which would mean 30 bases N-S, and 30 E-W, i.e. with everything in between would probably take no more than 100 such bases.
3. Imagine a network of Gravity fed roller-coaster tracks(one, to and the other, return), bogey could then roll from one base to the other by gravity alone. Obviously we could use other types of motive system too.
4. important point to note here is that such networks would Not disturb the ground and all vegetation(in any) below, since the tracks would be stilts.
5. Once the primary network is set up and functioning..... have another layer at 50 m intervals.
6. Track delivery is one, the other... my 'preferred' method - UAV/VTOL/Helo.
7. Flying robots with 50km or 100 km range, based on traditional fuel or battery power.
8. Hence, cargo delivery from Kanyakumari going all the way to the mighty Himalayas would be accomplished in a series of hops from one base to the next, to replenish fuel and way point check/verification.
9. Guidance shall be strictly GPS-free.... absolutely no GPS. In fact, with such a grid, the newtwork itself would provide the necessary reference fix.
The other Important change required is that everything that the Army(mainly) uses would need to redesigned and made highly modular and super Light, i.e.: fly everything in peces to location and re-assembly in minutes.
Agreed, that'd be one heck of a design challenge !

 

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Green nods holding up strategic border roads: ITBP chief

NEW DELHI: On a day India concluded its two-day meet with China to discuss border dispute, ITBP chief Subhash Goswami said environmental clearances and bureaucratic delays were holding up crucial road projects on the Sino-India border, leading to strategic disadvantage against Beijing which has already built a comprehensive network on its side.

The director general of ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police), the force that guards 3,488 km of Sino- ..

Read more at:
Green nods holding up strategic border roads: ITBP chief - The Economic Times

Read more at:
Green nods holding up strategic border roads: ITBP chief - The Economic Times