The inauguration of the 9.15 km long Dhola-Sadiya bridge is a step forward for India in reinforcing the defence infrastructure against China. However, what is actually needed is a combination of more airfields, helipads, bridges and strategic roads leading up to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), to allow quick mobilisation of troops and a stronger defence barrier against a conflict or aggression.
As there are limited flights to the airfields and helipads, due to high fuel costs and terrain restrictions, the main access to the LAC is through narrow dirt tracks currently, which can take hours and sometimes days to cover. One of the few options explored is the construction of 73 strategic Indo-China Border Roads (ICBRs). But most roads are nowhere near completion.
Even the Mountain Strike Corps, which is being raised with 80,000 soldiers and is being pitched as India’s primary force against the Chinese, depends entirely on road connectivity along the LAC to be used in an offensive or to restore an adverse situation.
On the other hand, across the LAC, China has built numerous roads, bridges and airfields, which give it an advantage to quickly mobilise and breach the border.
Why ICBR?
Before the war, in around 1959, there were intrusions and instances of armed aggression by Chinese soldiers at the LAC in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. Even then proper connectivity was a major issue, because of which posts were largely inaccessible. At the time, there was just a few dirt tracks.
Experts, after the 1962 war, decided to delay construction of roads so that the Chinese, in case of another war, would not find easy ways back into Indian hinterland. However, an incursion was carried out by the Chinese in Sumdorong Chu valley in Arunachal Pradesh in April 1986. This made India review its strategies.
A China Study Group (CSG) was subsequently constituted to understand the requirement of roads along the China border. Around 1997, when the Chinese had increased the rate of construction of roads along the LAC, the CSG too decided to improve connectivity through 13 roads along the LAC for better border management.
Subsequently, 33 more General Staff roads were identified for construction by 2012, followed by 27 Indo-Tibetan Border Police roads to be developed along the frontier with China. These were the 73 planned ICBRs.
Improper execution
The construction of the 73 ICBRs began in 1999 (in phases), however, until now only 27 have been completed. Those completed are also riddled with problems, as pointed out in a recent CAG report that audited the work of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO). The BRO has been tasked with construction of 61 of the ICBRs. The remaining 12 roads are being constructed by other agencies.
As per the CAG report, users’ feedback indicated that the BRO construction was riddled with grave issues like improper gradient, undulating surface and improper turning radius in 17 roads out of 24 selected for audit.
Other than improper construction, the BRO has also had trouble sticking to deadlines. According to the CAG report, only 22 out of 61 roads were completed by March 2016. In fact, the 61 roads were to be completed by 2012.
But why so slow?
The biggest problem in the construction of roads in border areas is the acquisition of land. The acquisition becomes a bigger problem, especially in Arunachal Pradesh, because of lack of land records. “So if a villager says a tract of land is his, we have to believe him,” said an army official who has served in the state.
Other than the difficulty of finding land for construction, the fluctuating costs also become an issue. There have been numerous cases where the price of land in Arunachal Pradesh has been revised by the state, while at the construction stage, resulting into higher compensation than negotiated.
The required permissions to build on lands that pass through forests and wildlife sanctuaries also take a long time to come through, which force the construction agencies to sit on the job as deadlines loom closer. However, if the agency does decide to start works before bureaucratic permissions come through, its workers are arrested and equipment seized for illegal construction.
Issues are also faced by the construction agency in arranging for the logistics in areas of uneven terrain like that in the Northeast, which hamper work. Lack of local labour, insurgency and inclement weather also contribute to smaller workable time-frames.
Just roads not enough
The recently inaugurated Dhola-Sadiya bridge is a leap forward in creating access to the LAC. However, according to experts, there is a need for more such bridges to create alternative routes, in case roads get blocked or come under fire in a war.
With the inauguration of Dhola-Sadiya bridge, the number of bridges on the Indian side goes up to four. These bridges will lead to quick insertion of troops towards border areas in Arunachal. With the Dhola-Sadiya bridge alone, the army can reach its posts in Kibitoo, Walong and Chaglahagam in eastern Arunachal, cutting travel time by four hours as against an ordeal to cross the Brahmaputra by boat.
The fourth bridge of the lot, Bogibeel bridge, is yet to come up. According to the plan, it will be a combination of a road and rail network over the Brahmaputra and will allow faster movement of supplies for troops in western Arunachal.
However, experts say that the responsibility of creating access should not be bundled on these four bridges alone. While there is a need for greater access through more such bridges, experts suggest that these must also be treated as alternative routes in case one gets destroyed by enemy missiles. Besides this, multiplicity will also help confuse the enemy of routes being taken by the troops during a showdown.
Need more helipads and airfields as well
There is also a need for more airfields along the LAC known as ‘advanced landing grounds’ (ALGs) in military parlance. Like bridges and roads, the ALGs assist in mobilisation, forward movement of reserve troops and targeting enemy airfields and roads. There are six ALGs in Arunachal Pradesh and two more are to come up. Ladakh, also has around three ALGs. But due to the mountainous terrain along the LAC, flying of aircraft is sometimes not a viable option.
This is the reason why helipads come into play. But most of the helipads along the LAC are capable of landing only small helicopters such as the Cheetah and Chetak. Such small helicopters are mainly used for casualty evacuation, not for inserting large number of troops into a particular spot along the LAC. The remaining helipads, where large helicopters such as the IAF’s Mi-17s can land, are too few in number. The Mi-17s can carry both troops and supplies in large numbers. Experts, therefore, assert that there is a need to transform all the helipads along the LAC and have more like them, so that more such troop carrying helicopters can land.
There is also a requirement of having more forward aviation bases at central locations, where, unlike helipads, large number of helicopters can land, refuel and park. Helicopters from such bases then fly to the helipads located along the LAC.
What China has?
Though the construction of roads, bridges, airfields and helipads have been planned to reduce the chances of incursions from China to the Indian side, our counterparts are far ahead in terms of preparedness to support their troops on the border.
The Chinese are known to already have 11 bridges over the Tsangpo (Brahmaputra) opposite Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, all of which have been constructed to carry very heavy loads. Having numerous bridges gives China enough option routes to launch an offensive. They can also switch forces from one sector to another, if the need arises.
Meanwhile, roads capable of carrying heavy loads, start from Lhasa and connect with these bridges, and further with the LAC. China also has three important highways leading into Tibet – the Central, Western and Eastern – which start from the hinterland. Besides this it also has the Qinghai Tibet Railway, connecting Qinghai to Lhasa.
China also has nine air bases located opposite to the LAC, primarily facing Arunachal Pradesh.
This means that the Chinese side has prepared its border areas for easy movement of heavy tanks and artillery and quick attacks on Indian airfields and roads.
Source:- ET
The post Dhola-Sadiya bridge not enough, China still miles ahead of India in infra along LAC appeared first on Indian Defence Update.
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