India is
finally kick-starting the plan to build as many as 18 tunnels along the
borders with Pakistan and China for faster troop mobility as well as
storage of critical war-fighting assets like missiles, without the
threat of detection by enemy satellites and spy drones.
While
preliminary work on seven tunnels is underway after requisite approvals,
the construction of 11 more tunnels in Jammu & Kashmir, Sikkim and
Arunachal Pradesh is now on the drawing board after "a strong
endorsement'' by the Army.
With
China resorting to "tunnelling in a big way'' to store important
military equipment, the Army wants the tunnel construction plans in the
mountains in J&K and north-east to be fast-tracked. "The tunnels
will provide shelter to troops and ammunition from both enemy shelling
and extreme weather. They can also be used for NBC (nuclear, chemical,
biological) protection and establishing command and control centres,''
said a top official.
Actual
construction work is underway only in one of the 18 proposed tunnels.
But, this long-delayed 8.82-km long horse-shoe shaped tunnel under the
13,400-feet Rohtang Pass, on the Manali-Sarchu-Leh axis, is unlikely to
meet its completion deadline of February, 2015. Feasibility studies and
preparation of detailed project reports (DPRs) for three more tunnels at
Zozila, Z-Morh and Razdhan Pass in J&K are in progress, while
similar work is planned for Khardungla and Sadhana Pass in J&K and
Theng in Sikkim. The other proposed tunnels include Rangpo in Sikkim and
on the Balipara-Charduar-Tawang axis in Arunachal Pradesh.
The Army
is anxious the existing large gaps in border infrastructure — in terms
of all-weather roads, tunnels, strategic railway lines, "permanent
defences'' and the like — are plugged as fast as possible. China, for
instance, can move around 30 divisions (each with over 15,000 soldiers)
to the borders within 30 days to outnumber Indian forces by at least 3:1
after undertaking massive infrastructure development all along the
4,057-km Line of Actual Control, as earlier reported by TOI. An
empowered committee under defence secretary Shashikant Sharma is
scrutinizing DPRs for the proposed overall "capability development plan
on the northern borders'' worth Rs 26,155 crore. While this is slated is
slated for completion by 2020-2021, there is an ongoing Rs 9,243 crore
project for "infrastructure development in the eastern theatre'' by
2016-2017.
The Army
hopes the projects are not hit by huge time overruns like the 73
all-weather roads earmarked for construction along the three sectors of
LAC close to a decade ago. Defence minister A K Antony admitted in LS
this week that just 16 of those roads have been finished till now, with
another 26 slated for completion by 2013, and 19 more by 2016.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-08-16/india/33232484_1_tunnels-rangpo-sikkim
Asian Defence News
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