According to top officials, India is on the verge of completing a significant project that will offer an alternative route to the strategically crucial Indian Army outpost near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), as reported by the Hindustan Times on Thursday (Sep 28).
This new road, which will link India’s northernmost military base, Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), will enable the transportation of weaponry, logistics, and soldiers for reinforcement at the front lines.
Unlike the existing road to DBO from Darbuk, the new road is not visible from across the LAC. This provides a strategic advantage, making it less vulnerable to attacks from across the LAC.
An official disclosed that the road is scheduled to be ready for critical military movements by the end of November and is expected to be fully paved within a year. Over 2,000 workers have been laboring to meet this deadline.
The construction of the 130km long road, stretching from Sasoma in the Nubra Valley to DBO near the Karakoram Pass, is in its final phase. The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) faces the challenge of completing a stretch in steep glaciated terrain and constructing a bridge over the Shyok River.
The officials stated that they are employing state-of-the-art technologies to overcome construction obstacles in the final stretch. The road has been classified under Hardness Index-III, the highest level of classification by BRO for challenging projects.
The existing Darbuk-Shyok-Daulat Beg Oldi (DS-DBO) road, which is 255km long, runs close to the LAC. Darbuk and Sasoma are accessible from Leh via two different road axes.
The officials also confirmed the completion of several key sections of the Sasoma-Saser La-Saser Brangsa-Gapshan-DBO road.
Former Northern Army commander Lieutenant General DS Hooda (retd) emphasized the strategic importance of ‘Sub Sector North’, which encompasses the Karakoram Pass, Depsang plains, and the DBO landing ground. He noted that the DS-DBO road in this region runs parallel to the LAC for much of its length north of Galwan, making it susceptible to interdiction during operations. The alternative route via Nubra Valley and over Saser La provides a safer road that is less prone to interference. Hooda commended the Border Roads Organisation for overcoming the significant challenge of constructing a road over the glaciated region of Saser La.
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