India Starts Building Of 5 Major Roads Along LAC Amidst Tension With China

India has started a project to build 5 major roads on the LAC in eastern Ladakh amid India-China tensions. The Border Roads Organization (BRO) on Friday started work on a road development project as part of the government’s efforts to improve overall infrastructure in the strategically important region. Lt Governor of Ladakh Radhakrishna Mathur, Defense Secretary Ajay Kumar and Director General of BRO Lt Gen Rajeev Choudhary attended the foundation stone laying ceremony of the road projects.

The Defence Ministry said that the projects include upgrading major single-lane roads to double-lanes. The ministry said the construction of the Hanuthang-Handenbroke-Jungpal-Turtuk road would provide inter-valley connectivity between Hanuthang-Handenbroke (Indus Valley) and Jungpal-Turtuk (Shyok Valley) along the Stockpuchan range. This will reduce the travel time from the current nine hours to three and a half hours without crossing Khardungla Pass, the ministry said in a statement. It said that the work of strengthening four major single lane roads has also started.

These roads include 78 km (km) of road from Khalse to Batalik, 50 km road from Kargil to Dumgil, 70 km road from Khalsar to Shyokwiya Agham and 31 km road from Tangtse to Lukung, the statement said.