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The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), in collaboration with the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) and the National Projects Construction Corporation, has launched Phase 3 of the strategic India-China Border Roads (ICBR) project. This new phase aims to enhance the road network in eastern Ladakh.
While Phase II of the ICBR project is still underway, significant progress has been made, with many roads completed. These all-weather roads have improved the mobility of security forces along the Line of Actual Control. Recently, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the first blast for the Shinku La tunnel, a 4.1-kilometer structure that will provide all-weather connectivity between Manali and Leh, further aiding the movement of armed forces and equipment.
Indias border with China spans 3,488 km across Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Sikkim. Following the 2020 Galwan standoff with Chinese forces, the Union government has accelerated road construction efforts and has earmarked new roads for Phase 3 of the ICBR project. The initial two phases were planned in the early 2000s.
Official data reveals that India increased its road construction pace significantly from 2017 to 2020, with formation cutting—a process involving new alignments and earthworks—at 470 km per year, double the previous rate of 230 km annually. Under Phases I and II, 73 strategic roads were identified, with 61 assigned to the BRO. For Phase 3 in eastern Ladakh, five new roads have been designated for construction by BRO and CPWD.
Several existing roads are being upgraded from single or double lanes to four lanes. The Union budget for 2024-25 has allocated ?6,500 crore to the BRO, a 30% increase from the previous year. Additionally, ?1,050 crore has been allocated to the Union Home Ministry for the Vibrant Village Programme, which aims to develop border villages along the China border.
In 2023, the Union government allocated ?4,800 crore for the programme covering the period from 2022-23 to 2025-26, with ?2,500 crore specifically for road connectivity. This centrally sponsored programme targets the development of 2,967 villages in 46 blocks across 19 districts along the northern border. The first phase focuses on 662 priority villages, including 455 in Arunachal Pradesh and 35 in Ladakh. The slow pace of border infrastructure development, highlighted by a parliamentary panel after the 2017 Doklam standoff, has spurred these enhanced efforts. |
