INDIA’S BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE

INDIA’S BORDER INFRASTRUCTURE

WHY IN NEWS ?

• Recently External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar released details of the government’s projects on border infrastructure and connectivity.

MORE ABOUT THE NEWS

• The projects includes initiatives in the north and east along India’s 3,488 km border with China (Line of Actual Control or LAC), including ramping up infrastructure on the Indian side in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh.
• Other projects includes connecting India to “friendly” neighbouring states such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Myanmar.

NEW INTITIATIVES ANNOUNCED IN THE BRIEFING

• A multi­pronged approach improving connectivity to the LAC through roads, bridges and tunnels.
• This will help in improving cross­border connectivity to neighbouring countries via highways, bridges, inland waterways, railroads.
• Ramping up infrastructure in Ladakh, HP, UK, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh. Many of these projects which have been in the pipeline for several decades have been expedited. For example, the length of roads constructed in the China border areas (6,806 km between 2014 to 2022) is almost double the length constructed from 2008-2014.
• Other projects include electricity lines, fuel pipelines, modernising and constructing integrated check posts (ICPs) at all the border crossings to smooth trade, and funding and constructing infrastructure projects in neighbouring countries.

IMPORTANCE OF NEW PROJECTS

• There was a report released in the wake of an official Security Conference report that said Indian forces have lost access to 26 of 65 patrolling points along the LAC since 2020.
• Thus there seems to be an urgent need to ramp up new infrastructure projects in the border regions to have upper hand in ensuring border safety and regional security.
• Other Strategic reasons due to successive skirmishes with the Chinese PLA on various occasions.

OTHER INITIATIVES FOR BORDER SAFETY

• BORDER AREA DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
• BADP was initiated in the border areas of the western region during that Seventh Five Year Plan period for ensuring balanced development of border areas through development of infrastructure and promotion of a sense of security among the border population.
• It is an important intervention of the Central Government to bring about development of border areas by supplementing the State Plan Funds to bridge the gaps in socio- economic infrastructure on one hand and improving the security environment in border areas on the other.
• Its main purpose was for ensuring balanced development of border areas through development of infrastructure and promotion of a sense of security among the border population.

• BORDER ROAD ORGANIZATION (BRO)
• BRO was founded in 1960, this organisation plays a huge role in providing defense infrastructure including roads, bridges, highways, airports, tunnels, buildings and other such structures in the bordering and forward areas.
• As of 2021, BRO had constructed over 60,000 kilometres (37,282 mi) of roads, over 450 permanent bridges with a total length of over 60,000 metres (37 mi) length and 19 airfields in strategic locations.
• The BRO also undertakes projects in India and friendly countries.

OTHER NEIGHBOURHOOD PROJECTS BY INDIAN GOVERNMENT

• Report also lists dozens of projects in the neighbourhood that have been planned, financed or constructed.
• There are projects involving major outlays like the railway links to Nepal and Bangladesh, the Mahakali motorable bridge and the Maitri Setu between Tripura and Bangladesh, the Kaladan Multi­Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) which includes a 158 km waterway, the Sittwe port project and road to Mizoram.
• The list also includes “South Asia’s first cross­border petroleum products pipeline” between Motihari in India and Amlekhgunj in Nepal.
• Another project of High Speed Diesel pipeline with Bangladesh that will reduce petrol prices and road congestion.
• A Bhutanese dry port in Pasakha bordering West Bengal being developed under an Indian government grant.

SOURCE: THE HINDU

SYLLABUS: MAINS, GS3 INFRASTRUCTURE