BRO builds 3 bridges in record time near India-China border, helps Army move heavy tanks to eastern Ladakh

Leh: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the ongoing projects with Border Roads Organisation (BRO) Chief Lt Gen Harpal Singh and other senior officials at a meeting in South Block, the Ministry of Defence said on Tuesday (July 7).

Lt Gen Harpal Singh briefed Rajnath Singh on the ongoing road construction projects on Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China and Line of Control (LoC) with Pakistan. The briefing went on for more than one hour. The BRO chief assured the Defence Minister that BRO would not leave any stone unturned to complete ongoing projects on LAC and LoC on time.

He informed that all ministries including Defence, Home and Transport are working in close coordination for all projects.

The BRO has built three new strategic bridges near Nimu which are helping the Indian Army move its tanks and towed artillery guns to the Eastern Ladakh sector along the LAC. The BRO has replaced a bailey bridge which could only be used for 24-tonne vehicles with the new one which can be used by vehicles up to 70 tonnes. The task was accomplished in a record time of three months.

Before January this year, C-17 heavy-lift aircraft and Ilyushin-76 transport aircraft were mainly used by the Army to ferry tanks from lower formations to Ladakh region mainly due to these three bottlenecks on the Srinagar-Leh highway

The second bridge at the Basgo location near Nimu has also been rebuilt and would be ready for full use in next few days by heavy vehicles including trucks towing artillery guns and tank boat vehicles.

BRO officials had said earlier that they had stopped the flow of the small drain flowing below the bridge to allow the movement of the heavy vehicles from the side of the under-construction bridge. The third bridge has been built at a place called Ule Topo, which is further ahead on the Srinagar-Leh highway, from where the armoured vehicles are brought by road.

The BRO looks after 1,200 km of the LAC in Ladakh sector along with China and over 250 kilometres of Line of Control and Actual Ground Position Line with Pakistan. BRO also maintains the airfields in Leh, Daulat Beg Oldi, Thoise and Kargil which are crucial for maintaining connectivity with the forward posts and towns.