In Bid to Improve Border Infra, India Builds New Road to LAC

India's Border Roads Organization (BRO) is undertaking a groundbreaking initiative near the disputed China-India border with the construction of the "world's first glaciated road" in Eastern Ladakh. This ambitious project, part of the 'Project Himank,' aims to establish the Sasoma-Saser La-Brangsa-Gapshan-Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) Road, providing an alternative route to reach strategic military bases along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Designed to enhance the mobility of troops and equipment to forward posts amid the ongoing military standoff between India and China since April 2020, the road will be an alternative to the Daebuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldie (DSDBO) road during crises and will connect DBO to Leh, the capital of Ladakh. DBO is one of three regions under the area better known in Army parlance as the Sub-sector North, a strategically important zone. DBO’s strategic significance is not limited to being the northernmost military base with the world’s highest airstrip. It is also located close to Karakoram Pass, which separates China’s Xinjiang region from Ladakh.

This development gains significance as China advances its China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) to the west of DBO in Pakistan-administered Kashmir. With India's claims over all of Kashmir, including the Shaksgam Valley ceded to China by Pakistan, the region holds geostrategic importance. DBO and Depsang Plains emerge as potential sites for joint China-Pakistan military efforts against India.

The 2020 clash in Galwan escalated tensions, emphasizing the urgency of the alternate road's construction. China's reported infrastructure development near eastern Ladakh and the south bank of Pangong Tso expedited the project. In the past three years, India has made significant strides in border road infrastructure, with 60% of new roads concentrated along the China-India border. Despite dialogues between the two nations, a comprehensive resolution to the ongoing tension remains elusive.