Strengthening of Border Road Network in the previous decade: A strategic stride in Amrit Kaal

India is a blessed country in the fact that it has a God-given natural border. Shielded by the mighty Himalayas in the North and covered by ocean from three sides, geography has acted as a bulwark for thousands of years. But the modern world’s geo-strategic realities defy and transcend geographical boundaries, and make it imperative for India to accelerate its border infrastructure development. The need for this transformation can be ascertained from the 1962 Sino-Indian War, the 1999 Kargil War, and the recent clashes in Doklam (2017) and Galwan (2020). But sadly, over the years, successive Governments have lacked the political will and strategic foresight to realise the long-term geo-strategic and economic relevance of strong borders. Luckily, this all changed when the Modi Government came to power in 2014.

Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Indian Government has been actively working on strengthening India’s border road network by leaps and bounds. The Modi Government understands the long-term strategic and economic importance of a strong, secure and accessible border, and has therefore strongly emphasised on improving connectivity in border regions. Over the past decade, there has been an unprecedented push to connect India’s approx 15,200 KM long land border with last-mile connectivity. The prioritisation of the border road network is in line with PM Modi’s motto of ‘Nation First’, which is the bedrock of all his policies.

Rise in Budget Allocations

The emphasis on border connectivity is best reflected in the huge budgetary allocations provided to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) successively every year since 2014. Under the UPA in 2013-14, the BRO had a budget allocation of ₹3782 crores. In Amrit Kaal, the 2023-2024 budget has allocated ₹14,387 crore to the BRO. This is an almost 4 fold increase and signifies the importance being given to border infrastructure, vis-a-vis growing tensions with China. This increased budget has facilitated procurement of modern construction plants, equipment and machinery to enhance the pace of construction warranted by strategic imperatives. A large share of increased funding has been used for better upkeep of strategic roads in the border areas and it will also give a major boost to the construction of strategically important roads, tunnels and bridges along the northern and north-eastern borders.

Swift and Steady Implementation of Projects

Under the Modi Government, both the planning and on-ground implementation have been swift and steady. This has given India strategic depth and mobility in hitherto inaccessible border areas.

Roads: India had constructed 4,422 KM of border roads at an average rate of 632 KM per year between 2008 and 2015. In comparison to the UPA era, the construction speed has rapidly accelerated under the Modi Government, with 6,848 KM of roads built between 2015 and 2023, averaging 856 KM per year during this period. Since April 2019, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has completed the construction of 3,700 KM of roads and 266 bridges, totaling 17,411 meters in length. In 2023, 16 passes were opened in record time. This not only saved us money by providing essential air support to isolated places but also brought us big economic and strategic benefits. As of September 2023, a total of 295 projects worth ₹11,000 crore have been completed on the LAC in just the past 3 years.

Tunnels: Since 2014, a total of 6 major tunnels have been completed, with an additional 10 tunnels currently in various stages of construction and seven more in the planning phase. The completed tunnels include the Sonapur Tunnel in Meghalaya, Theng Tunnel in Sikkim, Atal Tunnel in Himachal Pradesh, Chamba Tunnel in Uttarakhand, Nechiphu Tunnel, and Sela Tunnel in Arunachal Pradesh. The 10 tunnels under construction are in Arunachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh. Seven more tunnels are being planned in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim – namely, Key La Tunnel, Hamboting La Tunnel, Saser La Tunnel, Tanglang La Tunnel, Lachung La Tunnel, Baralacha La Tunnel and Donkyala Tunnel.

Bridges: The Modi Government is constructing the world’s tallest railway bridge in Kashmir. The Chenab Bridge is 4,314 feet long and it is a part of a broader project to make the Kashmir Valley accessible by the Indian Railway network. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project involves what will become the country’s longest transportation tunnel and Indian Railways’ first cable bridge. A total of 64 bridges have been dedicated to the nation in 2023, so far. Constructing a bridge at 11,000 feet in Sikkim near Bhutan and establishing a river crossing in Galathea for connectivity to Laxmi Nagar, India’s southernmost panchayat on Great Nicobar Island, have been particularly significant projects.

Taming the Dragon

India shares a 3,488 KM border with China. Since its inception, Communist China has followed an expansionary policy across its neighbourhood, and its first glimpses were seen with the annexation of Tibet and the infiltration into Indian territory which led to the 1962 Sino-Indian War. The threat still looms, as China has consistently laid claim to Indian territory. The Doklam and Galwan standoff revealed the cruciality of a good border infrastructure and India was able to successfully push back these intrusions. This was possible because of the sheer scale and effort being put into border development by the Modi Government.

According to Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, the DG of BRO, with the current pace of development happening on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India will surpass China in the next 2-3 years in border infrastructure. The BRO is working under the mantra of “we will either find a way or make one”. In 2022-23, the BRO completed 103 infrastructure projects, the most by the organisation in a single year. These include the construction of the Shyok Bridge in Eastern Ladakh and the Steel Arch Siyom Bridge of Load Class 70 in Arunachal Pradesh on Along-Yinkiong Road. By September 2023 itself, a total of 90 projects, worth approximately Rs 2,940 crores, will be dedicated to the nation. In his upcoming visit to Jammu, Defence Minister Shri Rajnath Singh will inaugurate and dedicate 90 projects which include 22 roads, 63 bridges, one tunnel that is in Arunachal and two strategic airfields–Bagdogra and Barrackpore– and two Helipads, one in Rajasthan and one in Ladakh between Sasoma-Sasser La.

The Defence Minister will also inaugurate the world’s highest fighter airfield in the Nyoma region of Ladakh. The Nyoma is currently an Advanced Landing Ground (ALG), which means that the runway is built of mud, allowing only specialised cargo aircraft such as the C-130J and helicopters to land. Once the new runway is completed, bigger transport planes will be able to operate from Nyoma, increasing the Indian military’s strategic depth.

It is worth noting that before 2014, the Chinese troops used to come in vehicles to patrol the borders while the Indian troops had to use mules. The strong push given to border infrastructure by the Modi Government ensured that during the 2020 standoff, Indian troops were quickly deployed and thwarted the PLA’s attempted encroachment.

Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas

Apart from the security enhancement, the massive scaling up of border infrastructure has also led to national integration and socio-economic upliftment of Indian citizens living in the far-flung areas. The accessibility provided by good roads, bridges and airfields has led to the development of trade, tourism, connectivity of villages and the implementation of welfare schemes to the last person at the last mile.

Felicitating Karmayogis in Amrit Kaal

It takes a Karmayogi to recognise fellow Karmayogis. In a historic gesture, 50 distinguished members of the BRO along with their spouses were invited as special guests in the 76th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort. It’s a remarkable recognition of their tireless dedication to border area development, often under rough and tough conditions.

In October 2022, PM Modi made a stopover at Mana Village and spent a night with a BRO Detachment in a temporary structure with a tin roof during his Uttarakhand visit. The PM had khichdi for dinner with BRO workers. Mana is the last inhabited village on the Sino-Indian border at an altitude of 11,300 feet.

The story of India’s remarkable border connectivity journey in the past 9 years is a testimony to the fact that when a disciplined workforce meets with a dedicated political leadership, wonders can happen. In Amrit Kaal, India has the requisite security to thrive in prosperity, and a large credit for it goes to its robust border infrastructure.