The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the civilian administration have made a “significant push” on infrastructure development.
In the face of the standoff with China in eastern Ladakh, India is putting a major emphasis on improving connectivity and employing high-tech surveillance along the nearly 1,350-km Line of Actual Control in the Arunachal Pradesh sector to ensure quick mobilisation of troops and heavy weaponry to deal with any eventuality.
Around 20 bridges, a number of tunnels, airbases, and numerous critical roads are being built in strategically key places in Arunachal Pradesh as part of the mega plan, officials said on Monday.
The 5 Mountain Division’s General-Officer-Commanding, Major General Zubin A Minwalla, said the focus has been on improving road infrastructure and employing high-tech surveillance equipment to increase battlefield transparency.
After a standoff with India erupted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector, China increased the scale and duration of its military drills across the contested border in Arunachal Pradesh, and reserve formations mobilised by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) last year are still deployed there, Eastern Army Commander Lieutenant General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.
Both sides are also seeking to grow up infrastructure near the LAC in the eastern sector, according to Pande. The military talks took place more than two months after the previous round of talks, which resulted in the withdrawal of forward-posted forces from Gogra, or Patrol Point-17A, which was one of the flashpoints along the LAC in Ladakh.
The LAC is equally contested along its length, said former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda, despite the fact that the eastern sector has not seen the same level of action as Ladakh (retd).
“As a result, Eastern Command will remain ready for any eventuality, including increased deployment to enhance the defensive posture.” The situation would stay tense as long as disengagement and de-escalation are stuck, he continued.
According to Pande, the Asapila sector in Arunachal Pradesh was one of the sites where the Indian Army detected PLA infrastructure development near the LAC, which resulted in a proportional increase in soldier deployment.
