The Indian army has deployed 60,000 troops along its border with China since clashing with China's People's Liberation Army in the Ladakh region in May 2020. China has declined to complete the stalled disengagement process in Ladakh and has upgraded infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control by building roads, helipads and troop accommodation.
From Ladakh in the north to Assam state in the far east, India has been repairing roads, bridges and tunnels along its border with China to ease the movement of troops in the region.
Several mountain passes at great altitude have been opened early, despite weather conditions, to speed up the transportation of supplies at key border posts. India shares 3,488km of border with China, a large part of which goes through some of the highest mountain passes in the world.
On Thursday, India's Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh announced the opening of 12 roads built by the Border Roads Organisation in the states of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking at the opening ceremony in Assam, which is a strategically important state, Rajnath Singh said: “India wants peace but knows how to respond appropriately if anyone offers us aggression.”
The Border Roads Organisation, which maintains and upgrades routes in border regions, has completed 1,200km of works and 2,850km of “surface maintenance” in the past year.
As India races to narrow the vast infrastructure gap with China, a…
